Like the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, the meet was founded by its four Charter nations: Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States. As part of the Charter, hosting of the meet is to rotate among these four nations, with the exception to the requirement of the meet being held in Japan every other championship. As of 2018, Japan has yet to host the meet.
Due to the presence of swimming power-house nationals like the United States and Australia, it is regularly used as a staging meet for the Paralympics and World Championships.