Exporting terrestrial animals and animal products

Effective January 15, 2022, exporters for food and animal commodities destined for the European Union (EU) where certification is required under the new EU Animal Health Law will be required to use updated export certificates accessed through the Trade Control and Expert System New Technology (TRACES NT). Existing export certificates to the EU will be accepted until March 15, 2022 as long as they were signed before January 15, 2022.

Exceptions include the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) form Certificate of Free Sale (CFIA/ACIA 5786) and the Animal Health Certificate for Entry into the Union of Dogs, Cats, and Ferrets: In-Transit and Commercial Movements (Model 'Canis-Felis-Ferrets') HA 3169).

The Certificate of Free Sale (CFIA/ACIA 5786), is available for food products manufactured by licensed parties under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). The Certificate of Free Sale does not replace product or commodity specific certificates that have been negotiated with foreign countries, nor does it replace or supersede additional import requirements that may be established by the importing country.

For information on the requirements and certification of in-transit and commercial movements of dogs, cats and ferrets to the EU please consult the following link: Export of dogs, cats, and ferrets to the European Union and Northern Ireland: In-transit commercial movements.

The objective of the export program is to ensure that only healthy animals and animal products and by-products which meet the import health requirements of an importing country are exported from Canada, and that in the case of live animals, that they are transported in a humane manner.

A list of valid export certificates for animals and birds can be found on the following links. If you are planning an export, please contact the Animal health offices in your area to get a copy of the export certificate and verify that the export certificate is still valid, that it applies to your export, and that there are no disease outbreaks or other events that may cause exports to be suspended. Please note that export conditions from some of the certificates to the USA are provided for information purposes only.

Live animals

Animal health certificates

• Pets (Dogs, cats and ferrets)
• Birds
• Bovine
• Camelidae
• Caprine / Ovine
• Cervids
• Embryos
• Horses
• Other
• Porcine
• Semen

Policies

• Live animals: export policies
• Policy on the Use of External Laboratories for Export Testing

Animal products

Animal health certificates

• Animal products
• Pet food

Policies

• Animal products and by-products
• Pet food

Notices

• 2023-08-23 – Notice to industry: Verification of farmed cervids for export to the United States using export certificate HA1891
• 2022-09-27 – Notice to industry: Service fee cap extended for certain animal health export certificates
• 2021-07-29 – Exporting food and animal products to the European Union
• 2020-09-15 – Notice to industry: Service fee cap extended for certain animal health export certificates
• 2020-02-05 – Notice to the industry: New ABP approval number
• 2019-10-10 – Notice to industry: Service fee cap extended for certain animal health export certificates
• 2018-08-16 – Notice to industry: Changes to requirements for export to the US of animal consumption material other than shelf-stable thermally processed pet food, treats and chews