International livestock transport involves some of the most severe welfare risks in animal agriculture, requiring coordinated regulatory action across borders.
International livestock transport is one of the most difficult areas of farm animal welfare to regulate because animals cross multiple jurisdictions with different welfare standards, and destination-country welfare protections may be minimal or absent. The welfare case for replacing live export with chilled meat trade is strong on both welfare and economic grounds for exporting countries. Consumer pressure in importing and exporting countries, combined with sustained diplomatic engagement, has achieved some progress — Australia's sheep export ban being the most significant recent example. The welfare principle is simple: animals should not be transported for durations that cause preventable suffering when alternatives exist.