Food imports

Attention foreign suppliers

Foreign businesses preparing foods for export to Canada do not need a licence under the Safe Food for
Canadians Regulations (SFCR). The Canadian business importing food into Canada needs a licence under
the SFCR to import and any other permission as required by other Canadian Departments and Agencies.
Work with an SFC-licensed importer to ensure that your food products meet all applicable requirements of
the SFCR. Only in limited situations would you qualify to apply for a licence as a non-resident importer.

Attention importer

At this time, safe and otherwise compliant shipments of imported food without a valid Safe Food for
Canadians licence or pre-existing registration/licence number are not rejected at the border. However,
businesses requiring a licence are advised to apply for one as soon as possible in order to comply with
regulations.

Where there is a risk to food safety or an apparent disregard for the new regulations (e.g. failing to get a
licence or implement a preventive control plan after being advised to do so), standard enforcement measures
will be applied. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will conduct risk-based inspections to verify that
imported food is safe and meets other requirements.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sets the policies and regulations for the importations of food,
agricultural inputs and agricultural products. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is responsible for
the initial import inspection of these imports at Canadian entry points to verify the requirements for all
Departments and Agencies of the Government of Canada.

Although the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) came into force on January 15, 2019, certain
requirements are being phased in over the following 12 to 30 months. For more information, refer to the
SFCR timelines.

Topics

 Importing food: A step-by-step guide

Learn about the steps you follow to import food into Canada.
 General import requirements
Get to know the requirements that apply to importers and imported food products.
 Food specific import requirements
Get to know the import requirements for specific food.
  Importing from specific countries
Check this page regularly to access the requirements for importing certain foods from specific
countries that have CFIA-recognized inspection systems.
 Industry import notices
Find notices related to imported food
 Non-resident importers
Learn about the requirements that apply to non-resident importer
 Recognition of foreign systems
Access information related to foreign audits conducted by the CFIA.

CFIA programs and services

 Automated Import Reference System (AIRS)

 Automated Shipment Inspection Status Search Tool (ASISST)
 Info Kit for Brokers - Available on request
o Change Request form
 National Import Service Centre
o Document Procedures
o Procedures for Faxing Documents to the National Import Service Centre
 Food and Horticultural Products Import Guide for Trade Fairs and Shows in Canada

CBSA programs and services

 Import Commercial Goods

 A Step-by-Step Guide to Importing Commercial Goods into Canada
 Border wait times