Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) says revised pet-food terms with China would permit ruminant ingredients, while a separate extension keeps access open through 2028 for four Canadian exports as Ottawa pursues trade diversification.
The ministry said the updated arrangement covers processed and canned pet food, treats and chews, and put its potential market value at $530 million. The release did not specify the currency or when the revised terms would take effect.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald completed his third mission to Beijing and Shanghai on Nov. 10, AAFC said. In Beijing, he met Zhang Zhu, China’s minister of agriculture and rural affairs, and Sun Meijun, minister of the General Administration of Customs. The ministry said discussions covered market access and technical cooperation; MacDonald and Zhang also discussed soil health, animal health and genetics.
MacDonald and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu attended the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, held Nov. 5-10. The expo’s website identifies Canada as a Guest Country of Honor.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said Nov. 4 that Canada and China agreed to extend favorable market access for canola meal, peas, lobsters and crab through the end of 2028. The decision followed a meeting of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission in Beijing, which GAC described as the body’s first meeting at the ministerial level. The department said the measures are intended to give farmers, seafood harvesters and exporters greater certainty and support trade diversification.
Canada also extended through 2028 remission measures for certain Chinese steel and aluminum products not made in Canada, GAC said.
The market-access extension builds on a Preliminary Joint Arrangement announced during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January 2026 visit to China and follows EconoTimes’ earlier coverage of the four-export deal. GAC said Canada aims to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030. Its November announcement did not set a review date for the extended measures.
