After years of continuous growth, imports of live pigs to Spain have experienced a drastic reversal. Due to trade barriers resulting from African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in the country, imports plummeted by more than a third in the first half of 2026. Piglet deliveries from the Netherlands, in particular, have declined noticeably.
Spain’s years of increasing live pig imports saw a dramatic reversal in the first half of 2026. According to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA), Spain imported approximately 1.83 million live pigs in the first six months of the year. This represents a massive decrease of 35.6% compared to the same period last year. Piglets accounted for the largest share of imports, at nearly 80%, and shipments of these declined significantly. There was also an even more pronounced percentage drop in imports of slaughter pigs, although their smaller share of the total volume had a less significant impact.
This significant decline is a direct consequence of the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar in Spain in November 2025. The resulting trade barriers and market shifts are noticeably slowing down cross-border live transport.
The Netherlands maintained its position as Spain’s most important supplier, but also experienced significant losses. With approximately 1.19 million animals, Dutch deliveries still accounted for 65% of total Spanish imports, but the volume fell by almost 29% compared to the first half of 2025. Almost all of the live imports from the Netherlands consisted of piglets.
Behind the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium remained the second and third most important countries of origin. Other European exporting nations such as Denmark, France, and Germany also experienced significant declines in their live animal exports to Spain in the first half of 2026.
Despite the shrinking overall volume, the structure of import flows remains largely unchanged: the three main suppliers – the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium – together accounted for almost 93% of all live pigs imported into Spain.
