Live animal export for slaughter subjects animals to transport stress over long distances when equivalent chilled meat trade would eliminate the welfare cost.
Live export imposes cumulative welfare costs through transport stress, loading and unloading, mixed social groups, temperature extremes, and often lower standards in receiving countries. The welfare case against live export is straightforward — equivalent market access through chilled meat eliminates the welfare cost entirely with no production loss. The UK ban demonstrates that the political will to act exists when the evidence is clear.