The United States is the second largest exporter of pet food to Japan with 16.4 percent of the market led by Thailand (33%) and followed by France (16%). In FY2019, imports equaled 260,000 metric tons (MT) and represented 44 percent of total domestic pet food consumption (593,000 MT) in Japan. Japan has had four consecutive years of increased overall value of pet food sales reaching over $3 billion in FY2019. High value-added products are responsible, such as, health targeted premium and super premium foods, medical and therapeutic functional foods, and a variety of treats and supplements for pets. Due to COVID-19, the number of new pet owners year-to-date through October 2020 for both dogs and cats increased compared to 2019. As of October 2020, the total number of dogs and cats in Japan was approximately 18.13 million, which surpasses the Japanese citizen population of those under 15 years-old estimated at 15.3 million.