Britain lifts blanket ban on Spanish pork imports, adopts regional controls

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Britain said on Wednesday it would allow pork imports from parts of Spain unaffected by African swine fever (ASF), reversing a blanket ban imposed last week after the country reported its first cases of the disease in more than three decades.

The move aligns Britain with the European Union's regionalisation approach, which restricts trade only from outbreak zones.

Spain confirmed nine ASF infections in wild boar near Barcelona, prompting emergency measures in Catalonia, a region central to pig farming. The virus does not affect humans but is fatal to pigs and has no vaccine or cure.