| The following GAIN reports were released on March 14, 2025. _______ China is a significant market for U.S. swine genetics; U.S. live (breeding) swine exports to China were valued at $15.7 million in 2023. China produces approximately half the world's pork and needs to import 5,000 to 10,000 head of purebred swine every year – with an estimated value of $15 to $30 million. U.S. exports of live breeding swine from 2017 to 2024 accounted for 36 percent of China's live breeding swine imports; France and Denmark were our primary competitors. Swine semen does not currently have market access to China. On March 12, 2025, the Government of Egypt (GoE) filed a ninth addendum to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) – G/TBT/N/EGY/313/Add.9 – informing interested parties that it was excluding imports of milk and dairy products from the scope of its Halal certification requirements. In 2021, the GoE signaled its intent to require halal certification for imported dairy products to the WTO TBT Committee. Since then, Egypt had issued eight addendums to its initial notification, delaying the implementation of this requirement (most recently until December 31, 2025). The Government of Japan (GOJ) through its Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA), has opened the public comment period for revisions it is proposing to the specifications for sterilized or sterile filtered mineral water to include specifications for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The comment period closes on March 27, 2025. Jordan, a Middle Eastern country with limited arable land and severe water scarcity, heavily relies on grain imports to meet domestic consumption needs. Domestic wheat production satisfies only 3 percent of demand, with imports expected to reach 1.15 million metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2025/2026, primarily from Black Sea suppliers. Barley, essential for livestock feed, is forecast to have stable consumption of 900,000 MT, with imports projected to rise by 10 percent to 1.1 million MT. Corn production is negligible, with imports managed by the private sector, mainly from Argentina, Brazil, and the Black Sea. Due to extreme water scarcity and lack of suitable growing conditions, Jordan does not produce rice and relies entirely on imports, with demand forecasted at 240,000 MT. The government maintains strategic reserves for wheat and barley to ensure food security amid economic and geopolitical challenges. The 2025 Government of Mexico fiscal year budget for the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) is USD 3.6 billion, slightly higher than the previous year, and four percent lower in real terms. The budget designates nearly 75 percent for social assistance programs that provide benefits to small-scale producers, including free fertilizers, cash support, and food assistance for low-income families. The foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak that has impacted South Africa since 2021 continues to spread in some parts of the country despite government control efforts. KwaZulu Natal province has been most heavily affected, with repeated new detections, including in late February 2025. This report summarizes the recent history of the outbreak, including the results of a January 2025 technical report on FMD from the South African Department of Agriculture. Although domestic soybean production is forecast to reach a 20-year high in marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Korea will remain dependent on imports for 89 percent of total supply. Crush demand, and thus soybean imports, are expected to remain stagnant, as market conditions drive crush facilities to operate at 15-20 percent below capacity in MY 2024/25 and into MY 2025/26. With low crushing, Korea is forecast to maintain stable supplies of soybean meal for the domestic feed market through imports and drawing down stocks. Imports of palm oil are forecast to return to average levels in MY 2025/26 following a reduction in MY 2024/25 due to high prices. Soybean oil will maintain its position as the most prevalent food use vegetable oil in Korea. The United States is reclaiming lost shares in the soybean oil market as exportable supplies become available to Korean buyers once again. Ukrainian chicken meat production continues its slow recovery in 2025, approaching pre-February 2022 production levels. Ukraine's largest producer, MHP SE, reports stable production at full capacity. Limited production growth is possible through fine-tuning production processes and production increases by smaller producers. The negative impacts of electricity outages, workforce mobilization, and other Russia-Ukraine war-related factors are currently limited but remain a significant production risk. Post estimates 2025 chicken meat exports will be strong, driven by increased export prices. The Middle East market replaced the EU as the major export destination for Ukrainian chicken meat. The EU's current autonomous trade measures, which allow for broader market access, will expire in June 2025, which could further restrict access to the EU market. Therefore, Ukrainian exports will shift toward markets with smaller trade margins. For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/. | 
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