FACTBOX - Countries slap bans on pork after flu outbreak

(Reuters) - Some countries concerned about the global spread of a new strain of swine flu have banned U.S., Canadian and Mexican pork, even though health officials said consumers could not contract the virus by eating pork.

Government officials have said the reasons for the bans are unsubstantiated, noting the virus is spread from person to person and has never been found in livestock.

The bans have cut U.S. pork exports by 8 to 12 percent and slowed buying from Mexico, an official from the U.S. Meat Export Federation said on Wednesday. Canadian pork exports also face restrictions.

Several countries have banned Mexican pork and swine exports, but Mexico is a net pork importer, and its pork exports go mainly to Japan and South Korea, which have not restricted meat imports.

RESTRICTIONS ON U.S. PORK EXPORTS:

* Russia - all meat (including beef and poultry) from California, Texas, New York; all pork from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Florida

* China - pork and swine from California, Texas, Kansas, New York, Ohio

* South Korea - live swine, but not pork

* Kazakhstan - pork from Texas, California, Kansas