Administrative Burden Baseline: Update 2025

The Administrative Burden Baseline provides Canadians with a metric on the total number of requirements in federal regulations and associated forms that impose an administrative burden on business. This baseline contributes to the openness and transparency of the federal regulatory system.

Administrative burden includes:

• planning, collecting, processing, and reporting of information
• completing forms
• retaining data required by federal regulatory requirements

All federal regulations administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that have requirements that impose an administrative burden on business are included in this report. This report provides a summary and analysis of any changes in administrative burden within regulations, documents incorporated by reference, or forms.

The CFIA's total administrative burden count for 2025 is 4,395, which is an increase of 5% (217) compared to the 2024 count of 4,178. However, the 2025 count represents an overall reduction of 60% compared to the baseline count of 10,989 from Administrative Burden Baseline Count as of June 30, 2014.

The main increase in the burden count in 2025 was a result of 4 new forms required to support disease containment efforts in Atlantic Canada, which accounted for an increase of 227. Specifically, these forms were introduced in response to outbreaks of multinucleate sphere unknown (MSX) and Dermo in oysters. They were essential for controlling movement within, into and out of primary control zones (PCZs) while maintaining support for trade and industry operations. These forms are no longer in use because the PCZs were revoked on September 2, 2025. We include them in this year's report because they were created during the 2025 reporting period. As these forms will remain active in the event of another aquatic disease outbreak, we will continue to count them in future reports. Updates to other CFIA forms resulted in a net reduction of 28 (1 form removed, 1 added, and 6 forms were revised). Overall, forms contributed to a net increase of 199 in 2025.

In addition, 2 regulatory amendments contributed to a net increase of 18 to the 2025 administrative burden count as follows:

• the coming into force of preventive control requirements for feeds resulted in an increase of 16. While most of the Feeds Regulations, 2024 came into force in June 2024, preventive control requirements were delayed by 12 months. These requirements introduced an outcome-based framework for feed manufacturers, which supports innovation and aligns with key trading partners
• technical amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations to address comments made by the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, which resulted in an increase of 2. The amendments add clarity around conditions for exporting animal products and reflect current practices

There were no changes to the administrative burden associated with documents incorporated by reference.

Administrative Burden Baseline Count as of June 30, 2025

Food and Drugs Act (as it relates to food)

• Food and Drugs Regulations

Read the administrative burden baseline counts for the Food and Drugs Act (as it relates to food).

Previous years' counts for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are available upon request.

Contact

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
cfia.legislation-legislation.acia@inspection.gc.ca

For more information

All of the government's Acts and Regulations can be found on the Justice Laws website.

Consult the CFIA's acts and regulations web page for a list of acts and regulations administered by the CFIA.

Consult the following for links to the Cabinet Directive on Regulation and supporting policies and guidance, and for information on government-wide regulatory initiatives implemented by departments and agencies across the Government of Canada:

• Federal regulatory management
• Learn more about regulatory cooperation

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit:

• Consulting with Canadians
• Canada Gazette