Canada, U.S. will allow safe trade in the event of an African swine fever outbreak

May 27, 2019

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have agreed to allow safe trade to continue in the event African swine fever (ASF) is reported in either country.

For business continuity, Canada and the United States have worked to modify their export certificates to allow trade of live swine, swine semen, pet food and animal by-products and meat to continue trade in approved disease-free zones in the event of an ASF outbreak.

This builds on Canada and U.S. zoning arrangements entered into by CFIA and USDA on August 15, 2018, which set out principles for zoning and trade.

Zoning is an internationally-recognized tool used to help manage diseases and facilitate international trade. If a case of ASF is identified, geographic boundaries are defined to contain the outbreak. These geographic boundaries are control zones established in accordance with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines. The areas outside of these control zones are disease-free zones.

African swine fever is a serious viral disease of pigs that can cause fever, internal bleeding and high death rates. It is highly contagious and can spread rapidly through both direct and indirect contact with infected pigs or pig products. African swine fever only affects members of the pig family.

ASF is routinely found in several African countries. Since 2007, the disease has spread across several countries in central Asia, including China for the first time in 2018, as well as several European countries

Link: Joint Statement from the Chief Veterinary Officers of Canada and U.S.