CFIA Notice: November 1st change - Import of mixtures containing animal ingredients

Starting November 1, 2019, guidelines for importing products of animal origin containing multiple ingredients come into effect (Section 9 of the Terrestrial animal products and by-products: Import policy framework). These guidelines affect, for example, feeds, fertilizers, food with milk or egg ingredients, vitamin and mineral supplements, and commodities containing products of a rendering plant or other animal-origin ingredients.

Clarification: If a mixture clearly fits under a currently existing HS code and OGD extension and has established import conditions, it will not be affected by the November 1st change.

What's new

To help prevent the introduction of animal diseases into Canada, ingredient percentages will no longer be used to determine import conditions and the focus will be on disease risk. Therefore, import requirements may change and, in some cases, become more stringent.

What to do

If you import mixtures containing animal-origin ingredients, here's what to do.

• Review Section 9 (products of animal origin containing multiple ingredients) to determine whether it applies to your commodities
• If you already have an import permit and need an amendment because of these changes, you only need to apply for the amendment before your next required permit renewal
  • For one year after the implementation date of November 1st, 2019, import permits may reflect either the previous or new guidelines
  • As permits are renewed during this transitional year, they will reflect the new guidelines
• Please continue to use the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) to identify import conditions 
  • If your commodity is not listed in AIRS, CFIA may apply Section 9 import requirements case by case
• If you do not yet have an import permit or need to renew your permit, you must provide documentation listing all animal-origin ingredients in the commodity, as well as the species and the country of origin of each ingredient, to the Centre of Administration when applying for an import permit and to the National Import Service Centre when requesting clearance of a shipment

Any questions or comments may be sent to cfia.apabpimport-importationpespa.acia@canada.ca.

This notice was posted on the CFIA website.