International regulations governing the transport of live animals vary enormously by jurisdiction, creating regulatory gaps exploited by the trade and causing welfare failures at borders.
International live animal transport regulation suffers from coordination failures. Animals transported between jurisdictions may fall outside the welfare requirements of both exporting and importing countries during transit. Sea transport receives far less regulatory attention than road transport despite journeys lasting weeks. High temperatures, rough seas, and disease outbreaks in confined animals create welfare crises that have caused mass mortality in documented cases. The trend in progressive countries is toward replacing live export with chilled carcass trade — delivering economic value without welfare costs.