Bilateral agreements boost pet industry exports

Food production is rising, with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization projecting 6% growth in global per capita calorie intake from livestock and fish products over the next decade. To meet this need, countries are making bilateral agreements to encourage agri-food exports, including pet food and its ingredients.

Canadian-Mexican accord

In October 2025, representatives of the agriculture ministries of Canada and Mexico met to outline strategies for bilateral relations and, at the same time, to strengthen cooperation and trade ties, following the 2025-2028 Action Plan launched by both countries in September.

According to the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food, trade between the countries in the agri-food sector had already increased by 50% between 2018 and 2023, but there is still room for growth, especially in the grain, oilseed, horticulture and animal protein segments.

New opening for pet food

Within the broader plan for trade, the two governments also specified pet food as a target segment. They agreed to create a certificate that will provide new access for Canadian pet food that contains bovine ingredients to the Mexican market.

Until now, pet food containing these ingredients could not be exported to Mexico due to Canada’s previous risk status for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), a fatal brain disease in cows. Canada’s status was updated in May 2021 by the World Organisation for Animal Health, which now considers the country to have negligible risk for the disease.

Four years later, in November 2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published the ‘Veterinary certificate for dog and cat food and treats exported from Canada to Mexico’. This document requires that products meet 12 phytosanitary criteria, including post-mortem inspection of raw material, in addition to establishing specific treatments for pork, beef, poultry and aquatic meats.

Updated import and export rules

In 2025, the CFIA also updated 18 guidelines for the country’s pet food imports and exports. On the import side, one of these was the simplification of documentation requirements for pet food products from the US, effective from April 2025. And on the export side, the country approved the removal of two requirements for shipments exported to the US.

Brazilian ingredients go global

Between September and October 2025, Brazil signed three export agreements affecting pet food ingredients. The Brazilian government also announced last year that sanitary certificates for animal feed and pet food exports can now be issued three times faster after measures to reduce bureaucracy.

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply concluded sanitary negotiations with the Japanese government for the export of products based on poultry, pork and beef fat used in the manufacture of both animal feed and pet food. The agreement will expand the agribusiness partnership between the two countries, as Brazil is already a “leading supplier of soybeans and corn” to Japan, the ministry says.

Expanding markets

The Brazilian government has also finalized sanitary agreements for the export of powdered eggs for animal feed, raw pork materials and fresh pork to Argentina. “With over 45 million inhabitants, Argentina has an expanding pet product market, with growing demand for products geared towards the animal nutrition industry,” it says. The aim was to expand an already strong partnership in agro-forestry products, cocoa and coffee.

More recently, during a visit by representatives of the Brazilian government to India, Brazil obtained authorization to export new products of animal origin to the South Asian country. Among the products that received certification are derivatives of bovine bones, horns and hooves.

According to the Brazilian Deputy Agricultural Minister, Marcel Moreira, the agreements will serve different segments of the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. This includes the production of gelatins and pet food. Moreira also says that the meeting advanced negotiations regarding the export of pet food itself, but an agreement has not yet been signed.

Mexico agrees to Brazilian ISC

Earlier in 2025, the country had already celebrated other advances related to pet food. In July, Mexico approved Brazil’s International Sanitary Certificate (ISC) model for pet food exports, opening its market to Brazilian pet products. The ISC is a document that proves compliance with international hygiene and health standards for exported products.

Easing barriers

The role of agreements in maintaining and increasing exports of agri-food products is recognized by many institutions worldwide. Smooth global trade depends not only on the elimination or reduction of tariffs, but also on how sectors deal with barriers regarding quality and safety while always meeting the necessary standards.