Import Conditions for Breeding Swine from European Union Member States

AHPD-DSAE-IE-2008-3-8
February 5, 2021

At this time, imports of live swine from Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia are not permitted.

Documentation instructions

  • Import permit
  • Export certificate
    • Export Certificates of Origin must be issued by a veterinary official of the exporting country
    • Export documents must contain all required statements and information as required by the Import permit

Conditions of import

1. African swine fever requirements

The animal(s) must be certified against African swine fever (ASF) as follows:

  • The animal(s) must be certified as originating from a country or zone where no restrictive measures by the European Union (EU) are in place for ASF, and have been in that country or zone since birth.
  • The swine had no contact with any swine or swine products (including imported swine or products) that were located in an area with restrictive measures in place for ASF.
  • The Member State is in full compliance with all relevant EU decisions for this disease.

2. Foot-and-mouth disease requirements

The animal(s) must be certified against Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as follows:

  • The animal(s) must be certified as originating from a country or zone where no restrictive measures by the EU are in place for FMD, and must have been kept in that country or zone since birth or for at least the last three months.
  • The swine had no contact with any swine or swine products (including imported swine or products) that were in an area with restrictive measures in place for FMD.
  • The swine were not vaccinated against FMD.
  • The Member State is in full compliance with all relevant EU decisions for this disease.

3. Classical swine fever requirements

The animal(s) must be certified against Classical swine fever (CSF) as follows:

  • The animal(s) must be certified as originating from a country, zone, or compartment where no restrictive measures by the EU were in place for CSF for at least the last three months.
  • The swine had no contact with any swine or swine products (including imported swine or products) that were in an area with restrictive measures in place for CSF.
  • The animals were not vaccinated against CSF, and are not the progeny of vaccinated sows.

  • The Member State is in full compliance with all relevant EU decisions for this disease.

    and

  • Where a wild boar reservoir exists in a Member State, the swine originate from an establishment that is not located in an area currently under restrictions for an outbreak of CSF in wild pigs and that has undergone surveillance to verify the absence of CSF in accordance with EU requirements.

4. Swine vesicular disease requirements

The animal(s) must be certified against Swine vesicular disease (SVD) as follows:

  • The animal(s) must be certified as originating from a country where no restrictive measures by the EU are in place for SVD, and must have been in that country since birth or for at least the last six weeks.
  • The swine had no contact with any swine or swine products (including imported swine or products) that have been in an area not designated free from SVD.
  • The Member State is in full compliance with all relevant EU decisions for this disease.

5. Swine brucellosis requirements

a) The animal(s) must originate from a herd that is certified free from brucellosis as follows:

  • The premises of originFootnote 1 is recognized free from brucellosis by the Member State of origin.
  • The swine had no contact with any swine or swine product (including imported swine or products) that were on a premises not designated free from brucellosis.
  • The Member State is in full compliance with all relevant EU decisions.

and

b) The animal(s) must have tested negative for brucellosis using the fluorescent polarization assay (FPA), or the indirect ELISA (iELISA) test or, the Buffered Plate Antigen Test (BPAT), or any other test approved by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH; founded as Office International des Épizooties (OIE)) for this diseaseFootnote 2 within the 30 days immediately preceding the date of shipment. During post-entry quarantine in Canada, the animal(s) must be retested for brucellosis using a test that is acceptable to the CFIA and obtain a negative result.

6. Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) requirements

either

a) The animal(s) must be certified for Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies or AD) as follows:

  • The Member State or zone of origin was designated as being free from AD by the EU;
  • The swine had no contact with any swine or swine products (including imported swine or products) that were in an area not designated free from AD other than live swine or porcine semen in the context of intra-community trade and in accordance with Commission Decision 2001/618/EC or Council Directive 90/429/EEC, as amended;
  • The swine have not been vaccinated against AD;
  • The Member State is in full compliance with all relevant EU decisions;

or

b) The premises of originFootnote 1 and all farms within a radius of three kilometres were free from any clinical or epidemiological evidence of pseudorabies for a period of 12 months prior to exportation.

and

c) The entire group of swine must have tested negative for AD, using serum neutralization (SN), or indirect ELISA or, when applicable, an alternate test deemed applicable by the CFIA within the 30 days immediately preceding the date of shipment. During the post-importation quarantine in Canada, negative test results for AD using SN, indirect ELISA, or other applicable tests (as determined by the CFIA) must be obtained a minimum of 30 days after the original negative test results.

7. Enterovirus encephalomyelitis requirements

The animal(s) must originate from a premises that is certified free from enterovirus encephalomyelitis (EE), formerly Teschen/Talfan disease, as follows:

  • All premises on which the animal(s) have resided in the past 12 months must have been free from clinical and epidemiological evidence of viral EE during the 36 months immediately prior to movement of the animal(s) off the premises.

8. Tuberculosis requirements

The animal(s) must originate from a premises that is certified free from bovine tuberculosis (TB) as follows:

  • The premises of origin has been free from any clinical, microbiological, pathological, or epidemiological evidence of mycobacterium bovis for the 36 months immediately prior to movement of the animal(s) off the premises.
  • The swine have not been commingled with swine, pork, or pork products that are from a herd that is not certified as bovine TB free.

9. Cysticercus cellulosae requirements

Certification for Cysticercus cellulosae is required as follows:

  • All premises on which the animal(s) have resided in the past 12 months must have been free from clinical and epidemiological evidence of Cysticercus cellulosae during the 12 months immediately prior to movement of the animal(s) off the premises.

10. Trichinellosis requirements

Certification for Trichinella spiralis is required as follows:

  • All premises on which the animal(s) have resided in the past 12 months must have been free from clinical and epidemiological evidence of Trichinella spiralis during the 12 months immediately prior to moving the animal(s) off the premises

11. Identification requirements

The animal(s) being presented for importation must be identified as follows:

  • Each animal must be individually identified by an ear tag. Complete ear tag numbers must be recorded on the accompanying export certificate.

12. Additional certification

  1. The following additional certification must be provided:
    • The animals must originate from premises where no livestock species, other than swine, are raised. They have been raised indoors since birth and have not been fed or in contact with household garbage and other refuse, uncooked milk and milk products, and meat products. All animal feed must be stored indoors at all times.
  2. The premises of origin must be certified as free from the following zoosanitary restriction:
    • The premises of origin was not subject to restrictions and/or quarantine measures pertaining to animal diseases of concern for the importation of the species in question during the period of residency.
  3. The animal(s) being presented for importation must be certified as follows:

    • the animal(s) being presented for importation were born on the premises of origin. For those animals derived by caesarian section, the premises of origin is defined as the premises where the caesarian sections were performed;

      or

    • piglets that were subject to early segregation and weaning may have been born on other premises and, when under age 30 days, assembled and raised on the premises of origin. In this case, the premises where the piglets were born were of equivalent zoosanitary status to that of the premises of origin, and met all premises and/or herd disease conditions stated on this permit.
  4. The animals presented for importation must be certified to have been quarantined on a pre-embarkation quarantine premises, approved by a veterinary inspector of the central veterinary service of the country of origin, for a minimum of 30 days or for a longer period of time, as necessary, to complete the required tests for import into Canada. The pre-embarkation quarantine is completed when the official veterinarian of the exporting country signs the health certificate, at the time of shipment. The animals must have remained free from any evidence of infectious and contagious disease and must avoid contact with any animals, products, or equipment of a lesser zoosanitary health status during the quarantine period.
  5. The export certificate must state that, under the supervision of the signing official veterinary inspector of the central veterinary service of the country of origin or the signing veterinarian designated for such purposes by the central veterinary service of the country of origin:
    • The animals will be transported without delay and without coming into contact with other susceptible animals, (unless these animals had sanitary guarantees similar to those of the transported animals) from the premises of origin to the pre-embarkation quarantine facility in vehicles or containers that had been cleaned and disinfected.
    • The approved pre-embarkation quarantine premises were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to the animal's entry.
    • No animals of a lesser health status were introduced onto the approved pre-embarkation quarantine premises during the quarantine period.
    • No animal was removed from the pre-embarkation quarantine premises, unless authorized by an official veterinarian of the exporting countryFootnote 3.
    • All testing or treatment procedures were conducted under the supervision of the certifying veterinarian. Care was taken to ensure the sterility of all equipment and veterinary products associated with the conditions of the export certificate.
    • The official veterinary services of the exporting country received a signed declaration from the owner or exporter, stating that the following arrangements were made regarding the transportation from the isolation premises to the port of embarkation and on to the final destination in Canada:
      • The animals were transported from the pre-embarkation quarantine premises directly to the port of embarkation in a conveyance that was previously cleaned and disinfected.
      • During transit from the pre-embarkation quarantine premises to the port of embarkation and loading, the animals will not have contact with any animals or equipment used on animals of a lesser health status.
  6. The animals must be certified to have been treated for parasites as follows:
    • Within seven days of export, the animals were treated for internal and external parasites with Ivermectin at a dosage of 0.3 mg/kg body weight or other treatment that is licensed and approved for that purpose by the central veterinary authorities in the country of origin.
    • Alternatively, export documentation may certify that the animals were derived by caesarian section and maintained without exposure to endoparasites and ectoparasites.
  7. All animals in the pre-embarkation quarantine had negative results on all tests that were required to qualify for importation into Canada. One or more positive results on any required tests during the quarantine renders the entire group ineligible for export to Canada. If there are false positive tests, confirmatory negative tests would be required to the satisfaction of the CFIA prior to the export.
  8. The animal(s) being presented for importation must be certified as inspected by a veterinarian:
    • The animals in the consignment must be certified as inspected by a veterinary inspector, who is designated by the central veterinary service of the country of origin for such purposes, during the 24 hour period immediately preceding export to Canada. The animals must have been found healthy and free from any clinical evidence of infectious disease and, as far as can be determined, exposure thereto. The date of the examination must be stated on the certificate.

Post-entry import conditions

  1. The animal(s) being presented for importation must be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days or a longer period of time, as necessary, to complete the tests required to meet the import conditions. The samples for required testing in post-import quarantine must be taken minimum 21 days after entering the post-import quarantine. The animals must be quarantined at the premises, previously approved for this purpose by a veterinary inspector designated under the Health of Animals Act, and specified on the permit.
  2. The animal(s) must be imported into Canada through a medium-level quarantine facility approved by the CFIA specifically for that purpose. The import quarantine facility must have been previously approved for use as a medium-security quarantine facility by a veterinary inspector, designated under the Health of Animals Act. The facility evaluation includes the following: location, fencing, physical structure, lighting, water supply, waste disposal, vector and pest control, movement of people, staff, security, as well as cleaning and disinfection protocols. The CFIA must issue a report, stating that the facility has been approved.
  3. The imported animals must be treated for ectoparasites prior to release to the destination premises. The importer must ensure that the treated animals are not slaughtered for use in food until the appropriate withdrawal time from the last treatment has elapsed.
  4. The animals in the post-import quarantine must have had negative results on all required test according to CFIA standards in order for the animals to be released into Canada.
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