Trade mission heads for Japan as Canada becomes the country’s top pork supplier

Canadian pork industry members are headed to Japan on a trade mission this week as Canada supplants the U.S. as Japan’s top pork supplier.

“We are proud of the relationship our two countries have built over the years, and we are committed to further expanding and strengthening Canadian pork’s partnership with Japanese retailers and consumers,” said Canadian Pork Council chair René Roy in a news release, Monday.

Japan’s top supplier

Canadian pork is the top imported pork in Japan for the first time in 40 years, the council said.

The U.S. was Japan’s largest pork supplier between 2020 and 2024 a report from the Province of Manitoba shows. It exported C$2.01 billion in pork products to Japan in 2024, with Canada second that year at $1.61 billion in pork products exported to Japan.

In the first half of 2025, Japan had already imported $3.8 billion in pork products, which represents 52.3 per cent of last year’s total imports from all origins, the Manitoba report said. Canada’s market share of Japanese pork imports through the first half of the year increased to 22.0 per cent, from 21.8 per cent.

Celebration on itinerary

Nineteen Canadian pork industry delegates will kick off this week’s trade mission in Osaka, where Canada Pork and the Canadian Pork Council will hosts events at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 2025, including a cutting demo and pork tasting.

Delegates will then travel to Tokyo for a media conference at the Canadian embassy.

“Both events, along with other significant activities planned, will provide producers and processors an opportunity to celebrate the industry’s Japanese partners and friends,” the Canadian Pork Council said.