Safe Food for Canadians

Food Importers: You need a Safe Food for Canadians Licence

Importing Food including Manufactured Foods

If you import food into Canada, then you will need a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence. As of February 24, 2024, SFC licences will be automatically checked for imports of manufactured foods. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) activated the automatic licence verification for imports of manufactured foods. The valid licence number must be entered on your import declaration.

Your shipments into Canada will be denied entry into Canada without a valid SFC licence.

Fresh Fruits or Vegetables (FFV)

Importers of FFV must also hold a membership with the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC), however, there are some exceptions. Importers will be required to have a Preventive Control Plan (PCP), which is a written plan outlining how you ensure that imported food is safe and fit for consumption and conforms to Canadian consumer protection requirements.

The CFIA also regulates FFV imported into Canada. Certain imported FFV have additional requirements from other Canadian regulations such as the Plant Protection Act, where phytosanitary certification or import permit may be required.

At Customs Trade Services Inc. our Canadian customs specialists can assist in guiding your company to register under MY CFIA and obtain your SFC licence.

Our practice also performs cost savings reviews for potential duty recovery to ensure you are not overpaying duty. In some cases, you may be underpaying duty and we can help identify where you may have customs risks before CBSA identifies them.  We can also help in optimizing your supply chain to plan for the lowest possible overall customs duties and tariffs when importing into Canada.

Reach out to us today and let us know how we can help mitigate and improve your Canadian customs and compliance risks.

Ernie Ubriaco, President, Licenced Customs Broker

Customs Trade Services Inc.