Before you request a Pest Risk Analysis

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requires a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) to be completed before new products from new origins may be imported. As a first step before initiating this process, please review how we evaluate fruits, vegetables and plants from new countries of origin.

If you are interested in requesting a PRA for a horticulture product (e.g. fresh fruit or vegetables, plants intended for planting), please review the preparedness checklist below. These factors will influence the likelihood that a PRA can be completed successfully and will be used to prioritize the PRA requests received by the CFIA.

Preparedness checklist

• Have you consulted the CFIA's Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) to check the import conditions for the product and origin you are interested in? A PRA is not necessary if AIRS states that the product is already permitted entry from that country of origin.
• Is this product already permitted entry from other countries that might suit your needs? To identify permitted countries, please consult AIRS or, for fresh fruit, see Appendix 1 of directive D-95-08: Phytosanitary import requirements for fresh temperate fruits and tree nuts.
• Are you interested in requesting more than one PRA, or do you have any other PRA requests already pending? If so, have you determined which is your highest priority?
• Do you know the approximate volume and value (in Canadian dollars) of the product you expect to be imported?
• Is the product currently being exported from this country of origin to countries other than Canada?

Additional points for Canadian importers

• Would importation of this product from this country fill a specific need or gap in the Canadian market?

• Are you aware of any pests of concern to Canada that could be associated with this product in the exporting country?

  To help answer this question, please see the list of plant health directives. For fresh fruits, see directive D-95-08: Phytosanitary import requirements for fresh temperate fruits and tree nuts in particular.

• Has your industry association identified this PRA as a top priority?
• Has the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the exporting country indicated their support for this PRA?
• Have you or your industry association discussed this PRA with your counterparts in the exporting country (individual exporters, exporter industry associations)? If so, are they supportive and are they prepared to work with their NPPO to advance the PRA, including investing the resources needed to implement pest risk mitigation measures such as systems approaches if required?
• Are you willing to pay fees that may be associated with the PRA request?

Additional points for NPPOs of exporting countries

• Are you in contact with potential Canadian importers of this product? Have they indicated their support and interest in importing the product?

• Is the product currently being produced and exported under a systems approach as per ISPM 14: The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management - PDF (327 kb)? Does this systems approach address the risks posed by major pests of concern to Canada for this product?

  To help answer this question, please see the List of pests regulated by Canada and the list of plant health directives. For fresh fruits, please see directive D-95-08: Phytosanitary import requirements for fresh temperate fruits and tree nuts in particular.

• The CFIA may require a site visit in the country of origin of the product in order to gather information to complete the PRA and/or evaluate proposed risk mitigation measures. All costs associated with the site visit (airfare, accommodation, ground transportation, travel allowance, etc.) are the responsibility of the exporting country. Would this be acceptable to you?

Requesting a Pest Risk Analysis

If, based on this checklist, you are interested in requesting a PRA, please see the contact information below. You will be asked to complete a prioritization questionnaire with points similar to those listed above. You may also submit any supporting documents, such as descriptions of systems approaches already in use in the exporting country or letters of support from importers, exporters or the NPPO of the exporting country.

Please note that PRA requests received by the CFIA may be shared publicly (e.g. in order to discuss prioritization of requests with relevant industry sectors). Personal information will not be shared, but general points such as the products and countries requested may be.

Canadian importers: Contact the CFIA's Horticulture Section.

NPPOs of exporting countries: Contact the International Plant Protection Convention contact point for Canada.

Exporters in foreign countries: Contact your country's NPPO to indicate your interest. Alternatively, if you are working with an interested Canadian importer, the importer may contact the CFIA as indicated above.