Canadian Christmas tree products may need to be certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to meet some importing country's phytosanitary requirements. These requirements are usually based on pests of concern to the importing country. Certification requirements can vary based on the product and the destination.
Market access and export certification requirements may need to be negotiated by the CFIA with the importing country. This is the case for some plant products like Christmas trees (Fir, Abies spp.).
In some cases, requirements have already been negotiated and include registration of growers or shippers with the CFIA. The negotiated requirements often include:
- monitoring and/or treatment protocols for pests of concern
- record keeping and
- CFIA product inspection during the growing season and prior to export
Movement restrictions within Canada could apply. If you need to ship Christmas trees harvested in one region for export from another region of Canada, a movement certificate could be necessary. Contact your local CFIA office to determine if export products are subject to movement restrictions within Canada.
Requirements to export to Barbados and Panama (Christmas Tree Export Program)
To be eligible to export Christmas trees to Barbados and Panama, producers/shippers must register in the Christmas Tree Export Program by submitting a service request through their My CFIA account.
The business owner must complete the registration and may designate a program manager to implement the requirements. A confirmation of registration will be issued through the My CFIA account following approval with an assigned registration number. A pre-approval by the importing country may also be required.
My CFIA uses the term "preventive control inspection" in place of "audit", and 'terms and conditions" in place of "requirements".
The requirements to these countries include (but are not limited to):
Pest monitoring and control
- Conduct pest monitoring and control for the pests of concern for Barbados and/or Panama. Contact your local CFIA office for the list of pests of concern
- Put in place a weed control strategy to minimize the presence of weeds in trees.
- Before loading containers, ensure that:
- each Christmas tree is mechanically shaken
- only clean containers are used to minimize contamination
Records
- Approved growers/shippers must complete and maintain monitoring and pest control records for each field
- Employee training records for pest monitoring are required
- The records must be made available to CFIA upon request and must be kept for at least 2 years
Packing and storage (for Panama only)
- A tarp must be placed on the floor before loading
- A storage area must be designated to prevent soil contamination and to reduce the risk of pest re-infestation
Inspection by the CFIA
- The CFIA will complete an audit at least twice per year to verify that facility is meeting the program's requirements: once during the growing season and a second time during the harvesting and shipping process.
- Visual inspection of Christmas trees will be conducted by the CFIA before loading the containers.
Export certification
- Exporters must submit the Application for Export Inspection and Phytosanitary certification (CFIA/ACIA 3369) to request an inspection and phytosanitary certificate. Submit one form per lot or field to be inspected
- Exporters must include a valid import permit issued by Barbados or Panama with their application
- Consignments will not be approved or be eligible for export to Barbados or Panama if any of the export requirements are not met
Christmas trees must be free from soil, weeds, seeds and pests.
Requirements to export to other destinations
Other destinations include the United States, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Singapore and some Caribbean islands.
Export certification:
- A phytosanitary certificate issued by the CFIA may be required.
- An import permit issued by the importing country may be required.
Please always contact your local CFIA office to verify current export requirements as they may change over time.