Canada to increase pet food exports to China under new agreement

At the beginning of the year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made his first official visit to the People’s Republic of China to establish a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening bilateral trade relations across agri-food, energy and other sectors.

Under the new agreement, both parties committed to increasing Canadian exports to China, including pet food.

Facilitated export certificate

The trade deal establishes a formal arrangement between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that outlines the quarantine and hygiene requirements for pet food exports.

According to the CFIA, the agreement has been signed and finalized but is currently awaiting GACC approval of a revised export certificate aligned with the new protocol, after which exports can proceed under the updated certificate.

The products covered under the protocol – including processed pet food, pet treats and chews – must comply with China’s key quarantine and hygiene requirements, including facility approval and oversight, raw material controls, heat treatment standards, microbiological testing, as well as packaging, labeling and transport regulations.

New market

The move will enable the resumption of Canadian exports of pet food containing heat- treated poultry ingredients to China, a market previously valued at CA$231 million ($171M/€157M) annually, CFIA tells GlobalPETS.

“The new protocol is more flexible in the heat treatment parameters and also allows the export of canned pet foods that were not covered under the previous export certificate. This will boost opportunities for the industry, increasing production and employment in Canada,” it explains.

According to CFIA, it also recognizes alternative processing treatments, as long as they are approved by the agency and recognized by GACC.

Broader strategic cooperation

Beyond agri-food, Canada and China also reached agreements covering manufacturing and security as part of Canada’s goal to increase its exports to China by 50% by 2030.

The 2 countries will also pursue cooperation in public safety and security by strengthening law enforcement coordination, aiming to create safer communities in both countries.

“The Canada-China relationship has created massive opportunities for both our peoples. By leveraging our strengths and focusing on trade, energy, agri-food and areas where we can make huge gains, we are forging a new strategic partnership that builds on the best of our past, reflects the world as it is today and benefits the people of both our nations,” says Carney.

China–Canada trade relationship

Over the 5-year period from 2019 to 2023, exports of pet cat and dog food to China decreased at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 16.7% in value, according to data from Global Trade Tracker released by the Canadian Government.

Overall, China is Canada’s second-largest single-country trading partner. In 2024, the partners generated CA$118.9 billion ($88B/€80.9B) in 2-way merchandise trade, as released by the Canadian Prime Minister’s official page.

In the same year, Canadian merchandise exports to China reached CA$30 billion ($22.2B/€20.4B), while imports totaled CA$88.9 billion ($65.8B/€60.5B).

China is also Canada’s second-largest global customer for agriculture, forest and seafood products, with sales of approximately CA$13.4 billion ($9.9B/€9.1B) in 2024.