Import to Canada

In accordance with Canadian food legislation, it is the importer's responsibility to ensure that imported red meat or meat products meet the requirements for the safety of production, storage, packaging, transport, storage or labeling.

Requirements for importers before importing:

domestic cattle  - meat from europe

Requirements during import:

  • obtaining an import permit from the CFIA
  • notification of each consignment to both CFIA and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA);
  • the notification includes, among others, the importer's data, including license number, exporter's data, country of origin, address of first destination in Canada and all information about the imported product;
  • the information must be provided before delivery to Canada

Subsequent points of the CFIA Import Control System, whose first point, the determination of the equivalence of meat control systems, is discussed in the chapter entitled Export to Canada:

Entry control point

It is carried out by the National Import Service Center (NISC). Initial verification of rights takes place using a special electronic system - ICTS. Then a review of the relevant documents takes place, including OMIC and packaging designation. The documentation must be provided by importers prior to shipment to Canada.

Shipping tracking and telemetry data

Data on all consignments of meat products imported to Canada are included in the ICTS computer system. The system generates an Import Inspection Report (IIR - Import Inspection Report) and an invoice for each shipment.

Import control program

A minimum of 10 consecutive shipments from a newly approved plant for export to Canada are subject to complete organoleptic checks at a Canadian facility registered for that purpose. After 10 consecutive shipments that pass the complete organoleptic import control positively, the production plant is automatically transferred to the list of establishments subject to limited import control.

pig - meat from Europe

In order to make it easier for importers to become acquainted with the requirements established by the CFIA for food, including red meat, a special electronic system has been established (the so-called AIRS - Automated Import Reference System). It is available at the following link:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/imports/airs/eng/1300127512994/1300127627409

Irrespective of the above guidelines, importers should be in constant contact with the CFIA and CBSA or visit the websites of these authorities in order to check for possible updates and learn details about the import of red meat and its products from the European Union.

[1] https://airs-sari.inspection.gc.ca/airs_external/english/decisions-eng.aspx