Livestock transport welfare regulations vary significantly between countries, creating welfare disparities and driving live export trade toward less regulated jurisdictions.
International livestock transport welfare represents a regulatory patchwork where animals can fall below minimum welfare standards when crossing borders or entering live export supply chains. The EU's internal transport regulations, while imperfect, provide a baseline that disappears entirely when animals are exported to third countries with different or no welfare requirements. This creates a welfare arbitrage in live export trade - animals that would receive legal protection domestically may receive none at destination. International regulatory harmonization toward WOAH guidelines and stronger destination-country welfare requirements represents the systemic welfare improvement needed.