All fertilizers and supplements imported into or sold in Canada require registration unless they meet one or more of the exemptions provided for in the Fertilizers Regulations.
Additional information
Consult the fertilizer and supplement registration trigger flow-charts to help determine if your product is exempt from registration.
If you still aren't sure if your product is exempt from registration after consulting the flowcharts, you can submit an inquiry (IQ) to the Pre-market Application Submissions Office (PASO).
Exemptions
Fertilizers exempt from registration (except seeds or growing media):
- a fertilizer that doesn't contain:
- a substance produced by or derived from a living organism
- a pesticide
- a supplement that isn't registered or set out in the list of primary fertilizer and supplement materials
- a registered supplement, if the directions for use of the product aren't consistent with those of the registered supplement
- a micronutrient fertilizer that isn't registered
- a registered micronutrient fertilizer, if the directions for use of the product aren't consistent with those of the registered micronutrient fertilizer
- a fertilizer that is set out in the list of materials
- a customer-formula fertilizer
- a fertilizer whose active ingredient consists solely of a mixture of fertilizers or fertilizers and supplements, if those fertilizers and supplements are either:
- exempt from registration
- registered for the proposed use of the mixture
Supplements exempt from registration (except seeds or growing media):
- a supplement set out in the list of materials
- a supplement whose active ingredients consist solely of supplements, if:
- each supplement in the mixture is exempt from registration or is registered for the proposed use of the mixture
- in the case of a mixture containing one or more viable microorganisms as active ingredients, the mixture isn't further cultured or manipulated
Seed and growing media exempt from registration:
Seeds that are treated with fertilizers, supplements, or both are exempt from registration if each of those fertilizers or supplements is either:
- exempt from registration
- registered for that specific use
A growing medium that contains fertilizers or supplements or both is exempt from registration if each of those fertilizers or supplements is:
- either exempt from registration or registered for that use
- consistent with the direction for use of that media