G/TBT/N/CAN/718  
9 April 2024  
(24-2994) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English /French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Canada's  SPS & TBT Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Global Affairs Canada  
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division  
111 Sussex Drive  
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2  
Canada  
Telephone: (343)203 -4273 
Fax: (613)943 -0346 
E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Meat and 
poultry products (HS code 020000000000)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Notification of 
Change in CFIA's Official Container Seal Applied to Consignments of Meat Products 
Exported from Canada when required (2 pages, available in English and French)  
6. Description of content:  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the Canadian 
competent  authority responsible for the certification of meat and meat products exported 
from Canada.  
The CFIA is in the process of standardizing its official container seal. When required, meat 
products exported from Canada are sealed with CFIA's official contain er seal. The seal 
number is included on the official export health certificate.  
The CFIA is standardizing its official container seal to replace the old seal with a new seal 
that is more secure, durable, legible and reliable. The characteristics and pictur es of the 
new official container seal adopted by the CFIA are presented in Annex A: Canadian Food 
Inspection Agency (CFIA)'s New Official Container Seal (attached). "CFIA -ACIA" is printed 
on the body of the seal along with a 10 -digit seal number, with seri alization sequence 
starting from 1000000001.  G/TBT/N/CAN/718  
 
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  This change does not affect the attestations for export of meat products from Canada. In 
addition, it does not affect CFIA's official controls over exports. The integrity and security 
of Canada's export systems will be maintained.  
The CFIA requests countries to notify their border agencies / officials of change in CFIA's 
official container seal in order to avoid any delays in clearing Canadian consignments into 
their country. When required, containers associated with export certificates issued by the 
CFIA as of May 01, 2024, will be sealed with the new CFIA official container seal. CFIA is 
requesting a transition period of 6 months where containers may be presented with either 
old or new container seal. The transi tion period will account for the containers associated 
with export certificates issued by the CFIA before May 01, 2024.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Canada is standardizing CFIA's official container  seal to replace the old seal 
with a new seal that is more secure, durable, legible and reliable.  
8. Relevant documents:   
Annex A: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)'s New Official Container Seal  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 May 2024  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 May 2024  
10. Final date for comments:  29 April 2024  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Canada's SPS and TBT Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division  
Global Affairs Canada  
111 Sussex Drive  
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2  
Tel: +(343) 203 4273  
Fax: +(613) 943 0346  
E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/CAN/24_02501_00_e.pdf