Question Period Note: Access to China for Canadian pet food products

After the avian influenza outbreaks in Canada and the U.S. in late 2021/ early 2022, China banned all Canadian products. containing poultry, including pet food, from entering its market.

• We are aware of this important market access issue, and you can rest assured that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to engage with China in an effort to resume trade in pet food containing poultry ingredients as soon as possible.
• As you are certainly aware, China's market presents particular risks and challenges. The Government's approach is to provide Canadian businesses with clear information on the risks linked to doing business in China and help them diversify their export markets and opportunities.
• This approach is central to the recently announced Indo-Pacific Strategy.
• At the same time, Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to defend its trade interests, as well as the rules based multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core. addressing the trade issues impacting the Pet Food sector in China is a priority.
• Although trade is currently very much concentrated in some key markets, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service continues to work closely with industry to seek new opportunities and facilitate entry into new markets to diversify.

On February 3, 2022, the CFIA confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Nova Scotia. Additional cases of HPAI have been confirmed in Newfoundland, Ontario and Alberta. Canada has notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of the HPAI findings. The CFIA has also informed trading partners, including China, of the HPAI cases. As the veterinary health certificate for the export of live poultry and poultry hatching eggs to China requires that Canada be officially recognized free from HPAI, the CFIA immediately suspended certification for live poultry and poultry hatching eggs to China. On February 21, 2022, the General Administration of Customs China (Customs China) issued a notification prohibiting “the direct or indirect import of poultry and related products from Canada (derived from unprocessed poultry or products that are processed but still likely to spread diseases)”. Customs China's notification further restricts exports of poultry products from Canada, including dry pet food containing poultry ingredients. This despite the fact that the veterinary certificate for processed pet food other than canned pet food exported from Canada to China does not specify that Canada must be recognized as free of HPAI. In addition, the OIE identifies extruded dry pet food as safe regardless of the HPAI status of the exporting country or zone. Pet food products that do not contain poultry ingredients are not affected by China's decision. The CFIA continues to engage with China in an effort to resume trade in live birds, hatching eggs and pet food containing poultry ingredients as soon as possible.

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