CBSA Notices

Source: CFIA website as at June 14,2019

Attention foreign suppliers

• Foreign food suppliers must export food to Canada through a licenced Canadian importer. If you are a foreign business that prepares foods for export to Canada, you cannot apply for a licence under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) unless you qualify as a non-resident importer. To determine this, refer to non-resident importers.

Attention importers

If you import food into Canada, you need a licence under the SFCR.

• For now, shipments of imported food without a valid licence (or pre-existing registration/licence number) will be accepted at the border, as long as they are safe and otherwise compliant with Canadian requirements.
• However, if you need a licence, we advise that you apply for one as soon as possible.

The Government of Canada will apply standard enforcement measures, including risk-based inspections, in the following situations:

• if there is a risk to food safety
• if a company disregards the new regulations (such as failing to get a licence or implement a preventive control plan after being advised to do so