The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated the Policy on import (return) to Canada of meat products that were exported from Canada to include import requirements of exported meat products shipments (return), for all countries including the United States, based on the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). The policy has been updated to include new operational procedures and a new application form (form CFIAA 5980) which is PDF fillable document.
Updated guidance
Policy
Policy on import (return) to Canada of meat products that were exported from Canada
This new policy is replacing:
- the previous Policy on import (return) to Canada of meat products that were exported from Canada; and
- the section 5.1-Return of Canadian meat products from the continental United States of the United States of America (US) – Export requirements for meat and poultry products
Form
The new form is replacing:
- the Application / authorization form for returning legally exported edible Canadian meat products to Canada from countries other than United States; and
- the Annex J: Application to return Canadian products exported to the United States
Operational procedures
Operational Procedure: Return (import) of exported meat products from the United States, pending the results of US laboratory analysis and Operational procedure: Processing applications for the import (return) of edible meat products that were exported from Canada
The operational procedures are replacing:
- Annex J-2: Operating Procedures to Import Meat Products That Have Been Exported Out of Canada; and
- the section 5.1-Return of Canadian meat products from the continental United States of the United States of America (US) – Export requirements for meat and poultry products
Transition period
The CFIA has implemented a 3-month transition period starting on October 1st, 2024, to allow a gradual transition to the updated policy and the use of the new application form. During that transition period CFIA will continue to process meat returns using old application process and forms. After that transition period, all meat return applications should follow the updated policy.
Guidance to be archived
The below guidance will be archived after the 3-month transition period.
Annex J: Application to return Canadian products exported to the United States
Annex J-1: Flow chart of application to return a shipment exported from Canada
Annex J-2: Operating Procedures to Import Meat Products That Have Been Exported Out of Canada