June 19, 2026
Canada-Japan agreement aims to maintain trade despite ASF
Canada and Japan announced on June 15 an agreement to maintain trade should there be an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).
"This is a vote of confidence in our two reporting and disease management systems," said René Roy, chair of the Canadian Pork Council in a prepared statement.
He congratulated Canada and Japan's ministers of agriculture for developing the deal.
Zoning agreements assist in quick resumption of trade in the case of an ASF outbreak. This would lessen the impact of any outbreak of the deadly disease and allow the industry and the province to return to normal operations, the CPC said.
ASF, while never detected in Canada, has devastated pig herds around the world. Zoning agreements would allow trade to continue from unaffected regions while authorities work to contain the disease.
They're particularly important in the case of ASF, which is an internationally reportable disease that has devastated swine herds around the world. ASF has never been detected in pigs in Canada.
Japan is Canada's largest export market by value, the Canadian Pork Council noted. In 2025, Canada exports of pork and pork products to Japan valued at approximately $1.8 billion, accounting for 31 per cent of export values.
The federal government called the agreement a significant step in Canada's efforts to help maintain access to the Japanese market while supporting measures to contain and limit the spread of disease and protect animal health.
Although Canada remains ASF-free, the disease continues to spread globally. ASF is not a risk to human health or food safety, but it is highly contagious and fatal for pigs.
With the addition of Japan, Canada now has ASF zoning arrangements in place with eight markets: the United States, the European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Japan.
Together, these markets represent nearly 69% of Canada's pork export value.
- The Western Producer
