Mexico Halts US Pork Imports Over Aujeszky Virus

Mexico suspended US pork imports after the USDA confirmed the detection of Aujeszky virus antibodies in pigs in Iowa, prompting SENASICA to strengthen sanitary controls on pork-related imports. The measure affects bilateral agricultural trade and could disrupt pork supply and pricing in Mexico, one of the world’s largest pork importers, while creating potential opportunities for domestic producers facing competition from lower-cost imports from the United States, Canada and Brazil.

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Mexico suspended imports of US pork after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the presence of antibodies linked to the Aujeszky virus, raising concerns over animal health controls, supply chain disruptions and the potential impact on pork availability and prices in Mexico, one of the world’s largest pork importers and consumers.

On April 30, the USDA, through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), confirmed the detection of virus antibodies at a small swine farm in Iowa. The investigation determined that five infected breeding boars had been transferred from an outdoor facility in Texas, where contact with wild boars is presumed to be the source of the infection. APHIS emphasized that this is the first recorded case in a commercial operation since the United States declared the disease eradicated in 2004.

The decision by Mexico’s National Service for Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) interrupts the main flow of pork exports to the largest market for US pork imports. Mexico imports more than 80% of its pork needs from the United States, which accounts for roughly half of domestic consumption, while Canada and Brazil rank as the country’s other main pork suppliers. 

Mexico has consolidated its position as one of the world’s leading pork consumers and importers, behind only China and Japan. Hermenegildo Santiesteban López, Director, Regional Livestock Union of Pork Producers of Sonora, the country’s second-largest pork-producing state, noted that per capita pork consumption has increased by 5kg over the past six years, rising from 16kg annually per capita in 2020 to 21kg in 2026.

The popularity of pork is tied to its role as a key ingredient in many traditional Mexican dishes. In this context, the suspension of imports has an immediate effect on the availability of pork cuts and offal, essential inputs for dishes such as carnitas, one of the most representative foods in Mexican cuisine. These products account for nearly 30% of total US pork exports to Mexico, according to USDA data. Pork also represents an affordable option for Mexican households compared to other proteins such as beef, whose final consumer prices rose between 30% and 35% in 2025.

On the other hand, the import blockade could represent an opportunity to strengthen domestic production, which has been affected by foreign competition. López noted that although pork protein has gained market share, domestic producers have not benefited proportionally from rising demand, as imports dominate the market by lowering costs through the sale of products that cannot be sold profitably in their countries of origin.

He noted that under this scenario, imports have increased more rapidly than domestic production in Mexico. According to López, pork producers generate 152,000t of pork annually, while Mexico imports 1.5Mt from the United States, Canada and Brazil, mainly pork shoulder and leg cuts that consumers in those countries do not typically eat.

“It is unfair competition. Prices are very low, below MX$30/kg because of imported products. They do not consume pork leg and shoulder cuts, which are the products we use and consume heavily in Mexico. Since they do not use them and have no market for them, they come here and sell them below cost,” López said.

The Mexican Pork Producers Organization (OPORMEX) expressed support for the preventive measures implemented by SENASICA to protect Mexico’s status as a country free of Aujeszky’s disease. The organization highlighted that Mexico has maintained official disease-free status since 2015, an achievement reached through sustained epidemiological surveillance, sanitary controls and strengthened biosecurity measures coordinated among authorities, veterinarians and producers.

OPORMEX also stated that it remains in constant communication with SENASICA, which has already activated preventive actions through the review and adjustment of zoosanitary requirements for imports of breeding pigs, semen, offal, waste products and other pork byproducts that could represent a risk to the national pork industry.

Aujeszky’s disease, caused by a type 1 herpesvirus, primarily affects pigs and is known for its high transmission capacity and ability to remain latent in apparently healthy animals, posing a constant risk to the sector’s sanitary conditions. The disease can significantly affect farm productivity, causing abortions and respiratory problems in adult pigs, while generating high mortality rates in piglets by compromising both the nervous and respiratory systems.

Finally, OPORMEX called for stronger prevention and sanitary protection measures based on scientific criteria and aligned with international recommendations, while reiterating its commitment to continue working in coordination with authorities to safeguard the health, productivity and competitiveness of Mexico’s pork industry.