New CFIA FAQs on Upcoming Electronic Upload Certificates for Organic Products

In preparation for the May 26 start date whereby importers to Canada will be required to provide a digital copy (image) of the organic product certificate as part of their import declaration, and following requests from RCC and other trade associations, CFIA has released an FAQ document detailing common questions. 

As a reminder, anyone who imports organic products must be able to present a valid organic certificate when requested at any time, including at the time of import to accompany an electronic submission of an Integrated Import Declaration (IID) message to the CBSA and CFIA to enable an at-border admissibility decision. The organic certificate must be issued by a certification body that is accredited by the CFIA, or by an accredited certification body recognized under an existing organic equivalency agreement between Canada and a foreign country (currently 9 equivalency agreements are in place).