New Requirements for Canada Based Importers

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is strengthening import controls for organic foods through a 2-phase project. Phase 1, completed in November 2024, introduced new Other Government Department (OGD) codes into CFIA’s Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) and required Canadian importers and brokers of organic products to declare whether they have a copy of the product’s organic certificate in their possession. The implementation of this phase has gone well, and CFIA is now ready to proceed with Phase 2.

Phase 2: Starting on May 26, 2025, Canadian importers/brokers of organic products will be required to provide a digital copy (image) of the organic certificate(s) as part of their Integrated Import Declaration (IID), also referred to as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) “Single Window.” The CBSA will assign a Unique Reference Number (URN) for each uploaded organic product certificate. Importers will use the URN as part of the submission when completing the declaration in the IID and may use the same URN for multiple shipments. Declarations may also include multiple URNs, as required.

IMPORTANT: Failure to upload the required organic certificate as of May 26 will result in rejection of the import request. Additionally, discrepancies between the organic products declared in the import declaration and the ones listed on the organic certificate might trigger additional enforcement actions by CFIA.

What does this mean for NOP certified operations exporting to Canada? CFIA will be reviewing the uploaded USDA organic certificates for oversight and enforcement actions. Therefore, it is important that USDA-accredited certifiers issue organic certificates (or certificate addendums) with an accurate listing of certified organic products for export to Canada.  

Please contact Jessica Walden at jessica.walden@usda.gov if you have any questions. The Canada Organic Trade Association has also issued this presentation and slide deck with more helpful information.