Printable Version Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Regulated Products Imported into Canada

As of Jan. 1, 2006, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Import Service Centres (ISC) will not grant approval for regulated Plant and Animal commodities if they have not been presented to the ISC at the first point of arrival (FPOA) in Canada.

The CFIA Request for Release (Form 5272) should accompany supporting documents for every shipment, and is available at the CFIA Web site. CFIA has also created the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) link with Canada Border Services Agency, which allows electronic releases of CFIA regulated commodities. For a list of CFIA ISC locations, hours of operation and contact information, please click here.

For any product referred to the CFIA, a release approval must be granted before the shipment leaves the seaport, land border, airport, courier depot or any other importation location. If a release approval isn't granted before the shipment leaves, it will have to return to the port it physically entered Canada at the importer's expense. At that point, the entry can be resubmitted to the CFIA for possible release approval.

The CFIA will implement strict enforcement, which means that the Importer of Record may face monetary penalties or prosecution, if regulated commodities are presented to the CFIA ISC before or at the time the commodity crosses the physical border or touches Canadian soil (i.e., FPOA).

For additional information on the products regulated by the CFIA, please visit the CFIA Web site .