The U.S. pet food industry made notable strides in reclaiming its position in the international market in 2024 despite experiencing setbacks in 2023. Exports grew by 3.7%, reaching $2.49 billion, signaling renewed momentum in key global regions.

Much of this rebound was driven by a strong resurgence in Asia, particularly China and Southeast Asia, where demand recovered significantly. China, which saw a 2.5% decline in U.S. pet food imports in 2023, bounced back with an impressive 15% increase in 2024, totaling $296 million—reaffirming its role as a critical market. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia, which had previously faced steep declines in pet food imports from the U.S. due to inflation and other economic factors, posted a 7.5% growth in 2024.

As for the top three markets, Canada remains the top export market, with $1.2 billion in U.S. pet food imports—although the regained traction in China may have slowed Canada’s growth rate. Mexico has maintained the third-largest market position with $234 million in imports.

Despite these encouraging developments, the U.S. pet food industry remains aware of the challenges ahead in 2025. Beyond the broader trade concerns surrounding tariffs on steel and aluminum, industrial goods and agricultural exports, U.S. pet food makers remain particularly vulnerable to trade disputes. Retaliatory tariffs on U.S. animal-based ingredients or finished pet food products could create additional cost burdens for manufacturers, potentially reducing competitiveness in key international markets. Because Canada, China and Mexico collectively account for 70% of U.S. pet food exports, disruptions to these trade relationships would pose significant challenges for sustained growth.

While these factors introduce new risks for 2025 and beyond, PFI remains committed to working alongside allied organizations and government partners to maintain the progress achieved in 2024. The recent introduction of the Agricultural Export Promotion Act in January 2025 is an encouraging step toward strengthening U.S. agricultural exports, including pet food. By securing investment in the Market Access Program (MAP),  in which PFI proudly cooperates, this legislation supports the industry’s efforts to remain competitive globally with strategic support and advocacy.

Addressing regulatory barriers in key markets also remains a priority, and PFI has secured funding through USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) to support these efforts. At the same time, PFI remains a proud collaborator in the MAP program, supporting U.S. pet food exports in 19 countries. Notably, 18 of these 19 countries were among the top 35 export markets for U.S. pet food in 2024—an increase over the previous year. This sustained engagement highlights the effectiveness and necessity of industry partnerships in maintaining and expanding market access amid an evolving trade landscape.

Through these programs, PFI has an excellent working relationship with USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) on various trade-related issues and through the promotional activities conducted under market access programs that help support U.S. pet food exports. Additionally, PFI and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) work closely through standing meetings and annual workshops. These partnerships have successfully aided in expanding access to international markets, and PFI is confident that this cooperation will continue to support growth in 2025.

To ensure continued access to global markets remains a priority for the industry, Pet Food Institute (PFI) plays a leading role in The Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA), which recently reaffirmed the safe trade of extruded dry pet food in heat-treated poultry products amid highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks by reinforcing science-based trade policies and advocating against unnecessary trade restrictions.

The organization will continue to promote adherence to international standards by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) member countries. PFI will actively advocate for the continued trade of pet food that meets the WOAH safe commodity standards should the U.S. choose to use vaccination to control HPAI.

For the U.S. pet food industry, the 2025 outlook is balanced with progress and uncertainty. Significant gains in key global markets in 2024, specifically in China and Southeast Asia, have demonstrated strong demand and resilience. However, lingering regulatory barriers and newer challenges, like looming tariffs and broader trade uncertainties, remain critical to watch.

As the trade landscape shifts, PFI remains cautiously optimistic that the foundation of strong partnerships, proactive engagement, and a commitment to innovation will ensure that growth will continue.

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By Dana Waters, Manager of International Affairs, Pet Food Institute

Pet Food Institute (PFI) is taking steps to bring the high standards of U.S. pet food to more pet owners worldwide. As cooperators in USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), PFI is now positioned to enter emerging global markets and expand consumer awareness about the safety, nutrition, and quality of U.S.-made pet food.

With RAPP, PFI is strategically targeting regions with limited awareness of U.S. pet food quality and challenging regulatory requirements. This proactive effort aims to reach pet owners who want safe, balanced pet food options while addressing unique regulatory barriers in these regions. Together with PFI’s ongoing Market Access Program (MAP) initiatives, RAPP allows PFI to deliver critical messages about U.S. pet food quality and safety to a broader audience.

For over 30 years, PFI has been a committed partner of the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP), promoting U.S. pet food worldwide. Through MAP, PFI has established a presence in vital global markets like Mexico and China, focusing on promoting U.S. pet food as a safe, high-quality, and nutritionally superior option compared to homemade meals and table scraps – an important message for markets where some consumers may already appreciate the value of premium pet food. MAP has supported PFI’s efforts to engage international pet owners and key decision-makers through market research, educational programs, and trade events that highlight the quality and safety of U.S.-produced pet food.

While MAP has promoted the U.S. pet food industry in emerging markets, RAPP enables PFI to discuss the challenges of entering a market with regulatory authorities. By focusing on countries with less-developed market access and those with more difficult regulatory barriers, PFI aims to resolve these challenges while educating consumers about the production and quality assurance that make U.S. pet food a trusted choice.

In essence, MAP’s strengths in marketing and promotion in emerging markets and RAPP’s focus on emerging areas while allowing for addressing regulatory issues create a complementary approach that will enable PFI to expand U.S. pet food’s global footprint while addressing unique, market-specific challenges.

In 2025, PFI will focus its RAPP efforts on five priority markets— Brazil, Central America, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan—each selected for the distinct regulatory challenges that U.S. pet food producers face in these countries. While these markets present promising opportunities, complex import regulations and varying standards often hinder smooth market access for U.S. pet food.

PFI’s strategy will concentrate on regulatory engagement, consumer education, and compliance support to address these shared challenges. For example, South Africa and Brazil present intricate regulatory landscapes that impact U.S. pet food exporters’ ability to compete effectively. By prioritizing collaborative outreach and offering resources to help U.S. companies navigate these specific regulations, PFI aims to simplify entry into these markets.

With this approach, PFI’s 2025 RAPP initiatives will facilitate broader global access to U.S.-made pet food by fostering regulatory alignment and increased consumer awareness across these high-potential regions.

PFI’s collaboration with RAPP and MAP underscores its commitment to bringing the best of U.S. pet food to a global audience. By entering new markets and reinforcing its standards, PFI will continue to meet the growing demand for safe, nutritious pet food choices worldwide, paving the way for lasting consumer trust in U.S.-made pet food.

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Despite the downturn in Asia, U.S. pet food was in high demand in other markets. Canada remains our largest importer, with $1.2 billion in trade in 2023. The markets that experienced the largest percentage growth were Mexico and Jamaica. The U.S. pet food industry’s third largest market, Mexico, saw an increase of 16 percent to $206 million from the previous year’s $177 million, while Jamaica saw a 16.9 percent increase to $5.3 million from $4.5 million in 2022.

Pet ownership is rising, and the bond between pet owners and their companion animals is deepening. Consumer data shows that in many markets, people consider their pets family members and strongly desire them. This societal change creates opportunities to bring safe, healthy U.S. pet food to pet parents worldwide. As a cooperator in the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), PFI uses USDA grant funds to engage in marketing activities across seventeen countries to promote the safety and quality of U.S. pet food. Our in-country representatives carry out activities such as community events to educate consumers, attending veterinary conferences, advancing media campaigns under the direction of PFI, and following a global marketing strategy that promotes the safety, quality, and nutritional value of U.S. pet food.

PFI is working to change the trajectory in those markets that have experienced challenges in 2023. PFI has submitted a funding proposal for the new USDA Regional Agriculture Promotion Program (RAPP). This program was created to promote U.S. agriculture in non-traditional and emerging markets, specifically in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. PFI has applied for funds for Brazil, South Korea, Central America, Taiwan, South Africa, and the Global RAPP, which can be used across markets. If awarded RAPP funding, we will be able to supplement the work we are doing in the MAP markets and expand our efforts to South Africa.

All U.S. pet food makers can utilize resources such as the Market Tracker on the PFI website to explore market opportunities for pet food. PFI also has in-country representatives to help U.S. pet food makers find trusted importers and provide trade leads to interested U.S. companies. For more information, please visit www.petfoodinstitute.org/MAP or contact Dana Waters.

The post U.S. Pet Food is Up to the Challenge appeared first on Pet Food Institute.

Working in the pet food space this year, I’ve engaged in several challenges on behalf of our member companies. Pet food makers have experienced numerous supply chain issues that caused chaos in shipping and sourcing materials. On top of that are challenges often imposed by the federal government such as tariffs.

Tariffs recently imposed on tinplate steel are a serious concern for the pet food industry. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has scheduled a January 4, 2024 hearing to consider arguments in the final phase of the antidumping duty investigation (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-685 and 731-TA-1599-1606) of tin mill products from Canada, China, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Earlier this week, the Pet Food Institute (PFI) joined the Consumer Brands Association’s efforts to stop the baseless tariffs on tin mill products by providing impactful information for a pre-hearing brief filed with the ITC. PFI was encouraged to see that a group of bipartisan members of Congress are also urging the ITC and the U.S. Department of Commerce to reject the tariffs being considered against several of our nation’s best trading partners.

The pet food industry supports a strong domestic steel manufacturing industry and U.S. pet food makers would prefer to buy domestically produced tinplate steel. However, due to the reduced availability and quality of tin mill products from the domestic steel industry, U.S. can manufacturers have been forced to rely more heavily on tinplate from other countries to prevent food safety issues.

What is tinplate steel?

Tinplate steel is used to produce cans for food packaging and other household products. Approximately 25.1 billion cans are produced each year, of which more than 83% are cans for human and pet food.

Why does the U.S. import so much tinplate steel?

The U.S. no longer manufactures a sufficient supply of tinplate steel to meet the demand, so it must be imported from other countries. It is estimated that in 2022, 62% of tinplate steel was imported, while only 2% of U.S. steel production was dedicated to tinplate steel.

According to industry reports, U.S. steel manufacturers have not made sufficient capital investments in recent years to increase domestic tinplate production and do not have plans to given how burdensome and time-consuming tinplate processing can be. Can makers require a specific mix of thicknesses and widths to produce the variety of cans required for the diverse food market; specifically, drawn and ironed (DWI), laminated steel, and easy peel ring materials. Some of these specifications of tinplate are not produced in the United States.

Why does PFI care about the tinplate steel issue?

U.S. pet food makers use approximately seven billion metal food cans a year. These cans represent a significant opportunity for pet food makers as they consider high-impact, achievable, and sustainable packaging efforts. Some research suggests this demand may have grown as shoppers changed their pet’s feeding routines during the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased use of wet pet food. According to a recent American Pet Products Association survey, 32% of pet owners said they cannot afford to spend more on their pet than they are currently spending.

PFI believes the integrity and quality of pet food can never be compromised. Canned pet food requires the best quality tinplate steel, which is critical to prevent food safety issues, such as discoloration or spoiled food due to pinholes, leaks, rust, or corrosion. Steel must be able to withstand the pressure of the manufacturing process. Insufficient steel strength often leads to dents, dings, or deformations. Inferior quality can also cause bulging, cracking, or splitting.

What has happened in the case this year?

On Aug. 17, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the preliminary duties for tinplate steel from China will be set at about 122%, 7% for Germany and approximately 5% for Canada. No preliminary duties were imposed on tin mill products imported from the other five nations involved in the anti-dumping investigation — the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey. PFI was encouraged by the agency’s announcement, as we believe there is no merit to the original dumping claims made by the petitioner, U.S. steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs.

What’s next?

As mentioned, the ITC will hold a hearing on January 4 to hear final arguments from both sides in this case with their final decision being announced in early February. Also on the same day, we are expecting the Commerce Department to issue their final rates for tariffs on the 8 countries. Stay tuned for an update early next year.

About PFI and our members

PFI’s member companies manufacture pet food in 35 states, employ over 34,500 people and generate nearly 400,000 jobs in associated industries. U.S. pet food makers produce more than 9.8 million tons of food a year.

The post Why the Pet Food Industry is Paying Attention to Tinplate Steel Tariffs appeared first on Pet Food Institute.

PFI’s strategic investment in supporting global standard setting through membership in the Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) demonstrated its value when HPAI struck in early 2022. GAPFA collaborates with the World Animal Health Organization (WOAH) to provide science-based reference points for global standards regarding pet food. WOAH’s HPAI standards recognize pet food that includes properly heat-treated poultry  as a safe commodity for trade in the event of an outbreak. This international standard allowed for the continued safe trade of U.S. pet food, even as HPAI was detected in over 47 states. While most U.S. trading partners followed the WOAH standards, there is still work to be done in ensuring adherence to global trade standards.  

PFI, as the cooperator for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Market Access Program (MAP) for U.S. pet food, receives government funding to help promote U.S. agricultural commodities and products worldwide. PFI currently uses that funding to promote the export of U.S. pet food and treats in 17 countries. The activities include marketing and promotional campaigns, working with local veterinarians to enhance their training in dog and cat nutrition, and working with local rescue groups to promote dog and cat welfare. These activities are executed by in-country representatives under the direction of PFI. The MAP program bolsters the reputation of U.S. pet food and treats as a safe, high-quality option in overseas markets, driving demand. 

PFI also created the Market Tracker, a tool that provides U.S. pet food makers relevant trade and market information about most of the countries that PFI is active in with the MAP program. It provides country-specific information for assessing, comparing, and prioritizing international opportunities across important sectors and sub-sectors, such as overviews, trends, forecasts, and market drivers. The Market Tracker is available through the PFI website.   

As we move into 2023, PFI will continue to advocate for U.S. pet food makers to expand markets and support science-based regulatory measures to continue an upward trajectory for U.S. pet food exports.  

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