Philippines bans pork imports from Taiwan

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 9, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The government has temporarily halted imports of live pigs, pork meat, pig skin and other related products from Taiwan after authorities there reported an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), marking the second import source this month whose pork products have been banned following Spain.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the measure is crucial in preventing the highly contagious disease from threatening local hog farms and driving up pork prices.

“We have to be vigilant in preventing further ASF infections to protect jobs and investments in the swine industry and ensure food security and consumers’ health,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said, emphasizing the economic risks if the virus reaches local farms.

Tiu Laurel ordered the immediate suspension, covering all pork-derived commodities, including semen used for artificial insemination.

The DA said that Taiwan’s Veterinary Research Institute confirmed the outbreak in domesticated pigs in Taichung City and reported it to the World Organization for Animal Health on Oct. 25.

Given these, the DA said that all previously approved import clearances for pigs and pork products from Taiwan are revoked.

Additionally, new applications are suspended, and veterinary quarantine officers at major ports have been instructed to stop and confiscate shipments containing affected items.

The government agency said the ban is based on lessons learned from previous ASF outbreaks, which resulted in massive losses for local hog raisers and disrupted supply chains nationwide.

Still, the DA said the disease remains under control in many areas of the country, and that preventing new strains from entering is critical to stabilizing the industry and maintaining investor confidence.

It added that local Industry groups are expected to support the ban as it is deemed necessary to safeguard both producers and consumers.

The DA said it is now intensifying biosecurity measures and monitoring regional developments closely.

The move follows a similar ban the DA imposed on pork imports from Spain over the weekend, after confirmed cases of the disease were found among wild pigs in the European country.

Additionally, the DA has also warned local livestock raisers about the detection of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in Southeast Asia, a highly contagious viral disease affecting goats and sheep.

“In view of this, the public is strongly advised to avoid bringing in, purchasing or transporting goats, sheep or related products from countries with reported PPR cases,” said the DA.