Canada #5589 (v.1)

Import licensing procedure for food intended for human consumption

Safe Food for Canadians Act (S.C. 2012, c. 24) and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SOR/2018-108)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Import licensing procedure to ensure that importers understand their responsibility for ensuring that the food they import is safe for consumption, and that it will meet all the applicable Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulatory requirements.
Licensing will enable the CFIA to identify food safety risks, communicate food safety information directly to food businesses, and take enforcement actions when regulatory requirements are not met.

The licensing system is not intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports.

To learn more about the requirements please visit http://inspection.gc.ca/food/sfcr/imports/eng/1526656151226/1526656151476

Some requirements will be phased in over time based on food commodity, type of activity and business size.
For example, importers of some foods will not require an import licence until July 2020. Please review the following website for important timeline information:
http://inspection.gc.ca/food/sfcr/timelines/eng/1528199762125/1528199763186

SFCR was previously notified to the following WTO Committees:
• Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade in G/TBT/N/CAN/394 (19 July 2013), G/TBT/N/CAN/394/Rev.1 (6 June 2014), G/TBT/N/CAN/394/Rev.1/Add.1 (15 July 2014), G/TBT/N/CAN/394/Rev.2 (25 January 2017), and G/TBT/N/CAN/394/Rev.2/Add.1 (15 June 2018).
• Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in G/SPS/N/CAN/700 (8 July 2013), G/SPS/N/CAN/700/Rev.1 (5 June 2014), G/SPS/N/CAN/700/Rev.1/Add.1 (15 July 2014), G/SPS/N/CAN/700/Rev.2 (24 January 2017), and G/SPS/N/CAN/700/Rev.2/Add.1 (14 June 2018).
• Committee on Import Licensing in G/LIN/N/2/CAN/1 (14 September 2018).

HS 2017

G/LIC/N/3/CAN/18