Doing Business in Canada - CPMA

Doing Business in Canada - CPMA

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Part 1: Importing, Non-Resident Importers and Exporting to Canada

Section 1 Importing

1.1.1 Importing Overview The implementation of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations ( SFCR ) has clarified the roles and responsibilities of companies importing to Canada. These changes effect importers who are based in Canada, as well as Non- Resident Importers (NRI’s) which are now permitted for fresh fruit and vegetables. CFIA and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) have both developed guidance documentation for the import community. They can be found here:

CFIA - Importing food: A step-by-step guide

CBSA - Importing commercial goods into Canada

There are three types of foreign suppliers you may import food from:

1. A foreign supplier in a country that the CFIA has a recognition arrangement with (currently only the US), where the food being imported is part of this arrangement.

2. A foreign supplier that is part of an internationally recognized third-party certification program (i.e. CanadaGAP, GlobalGAP, Primus, etc.) where the food to be imported is subject to this program. It is important to ensure the third-party program addresses all the food safety issues required as per the SFCR . It must also be noted that there may be other regulatory requirements, such as labelling, which these food safety programs do not cover.

3. A foreign supplier that is not subject to the oversight described above.

Each of these foreign supplier options will have different requirements under the SFCR .

Additionally, your imports must be in compliance with Canada’s Food And Drug Regulations ( FDR ).

1.1.2 Importers and Non-Resident Importers As an importer, you should consider the following three categories related to food imports:

1. Food requirements

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