If African Swine Fever breaks out on a hog farm in Canada or the United States, rather than outright trade bans the two have agreed to divide their nations into zones.
The United States Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced their deal this week.
They are changing their export certificates to allow trade of live swine, swine semen, pet food and animal by-products and meat to continue in approved disease-free zones in the event of an ASF outbreak, the chief veterinary officers for both nations said in a joint statement.
The agreement builds on zoning arrangements entered into by CFIA and USDA last August that established principles for zoning and trade.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation this week said the Chinese retail pork market appears to have stabilized for the time being, with meat cases stocked and price increases muted, despite estimates that China has lost more than 20 per cent of its hog herd to ASF.
Reuters said China has reported more than 120 outbreaks of the disease in all of its mainland provinces and regions, as well as Hainan island and Hong Kong, since it was first detected in the country in early August.
