Canada secures African swine fever zoning arrangement with the Philippines

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has secured an African swine fever (ASF) zoning arrangement with the Philippines as part of Canada’s ongoing preparedness activities, helping maintain access to the Philippine market while the CFIA carries out its mandate to protect animal health.

This arrangement is intended to allow trade to continue from ASF-free areas if ASF were ever detected in Canada. Under the arrangement, trade restrictions on Canadian live pigs, pork products and related commodities would be limited to the affected area, rather than applying to all of Canada.

The Philippines is an important market for Canadian pork exports. In 2024, Canada exported approximately $279 million in pork and pork products to the Philippines.

Although Canada is free of ASF, it continues to spread globally. ASF is not a food safety or human health risk, but it is a contagious and fatal disease in pigs. An outbreak would seriously impact Canada’s domestic and wild pig herds, pork producers and the broader economy.

Securing zoning arrangements in advance of any ASF detection is an important part of Canada’s preparedness efforts. Canada continues to work closely with trading partners to support trade continuity while safeguarding animal health. The Philippines is a priority market under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. This arrangement reflects technical collaboration between the two countries. That cooperation was reaffirmed this past summer when Minister Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, met with the Philippines’ Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in Manila.

Canada now has seven ASF zoning arrangements in place with the United States, the European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. Together, these markets represent nearly 40% of Canada’s pork export value, helping reduce the trade impacts of ASF and strengthening Canada’s overall preparedness through international collaboration.