WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/CAN/8/Add.1 
19 April 2010 
 (10-1980) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
1 
 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures  
 
CANADA 
 
Addendum  
   The following notification, dated 13 April 2010, has been received from the delegation of 
Canada. 
 
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Outline of system
 
 
1. The importation of cheese into Canada is s ubject to licensing under the Canada Agricultural 
Products Act and its regula tions (Dairy Product Regulations), whic h are administered by the Canadian 
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).  Licensing is in tended to ensure that imported cheeses meet 
Canadian standards for safety, quality, composition, packaging and labelling. 
 
 Requirements related to a cheese import licence are specified in Sections 26.2 to 26.6 of the Dairy Products Regulations (DPR).  These sections  describe the requirements that must be met to 
apply for and maintain a cheese import licence as we ll as the conditions for suspension or cancellation 
of a licence.    Purposes and coverage of licensing
 
 
2. See no. 1. 
 3. The system applies to cheeses from all countries imported into Canada. Licensing is not 
required for cheese which is not for sale in Canada an d (a) weight 20 kg or less;  (b) is carried on any 
vessel, train, motor vehicle, aircraft or other means of transportation for use as food for the crew or passengers thereof; (c) is part of an immigrant’s pe rsonal effects;  (d) is c onsigned to a national or 
international exhibition and weighs 100 kg or less;  or (e) is imported from the United States into the 
Akwesasne Reserve for use by an Akwasasne resident. 
 
4. The licensing system is not intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports.  The licensing 
system ensures that importers implement effective controls which provides assurance that the cheese 
they import is safe for consumption, and meets a ll relevant Canadian regul ations and standards. 
 
                                                     
 
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/CAN/8/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
  5. The system for licensing of cheese is maintain ed under the DPR of the Canada Agricultural 
Products Act.  There is no administrative discretion w ith respect to the products subject to licensing. 
Legislative approval would be require d in order to abolish elements of the import system described in 
the Dairy Product Regulations. 
 
Procedures
 
 
6. The quantity and value of imported cheese products are not restricted.  
 
7. (a) CFIA provides cheese import licences in a time ly manner.  The waiting time is dependent on 
the completeness and accuracy of the company’ s application.  If the applicant's current 
information and annexed documents are not co mplete and accurate, the application will be 
returned to the applicant for resubmissi on causing delays in the licensing process. 
 
(b)  Cheese import licences cannot be granted immediately. 
 
(c)  There are no limitations as to the period of the year during which an application for a cheese 
license can be made. 
 (d)  CFIA is the only administrative bod y which assesses cheese licence applications. 
 
8. Other than not submitting a complete and accurate  application, there are no circumstances to 
refuse an application.  
 
Eligibility of Importers to Apply for licence
 
 
9. Any person or company is eligible to appl y for a licence to import cheese into Canada.  
 
Documentation and other requireme nts for application for licence  
 
10. An application for the issuance, renewal or amendment of a cheese import licence shall be 
sent to the local dairy inspector in a form provided by the Agency (CFIA / ACIA 5562 (2008/08), 
available at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/for/mpppe.shtml ) and shall indicate:  
 
- whether it is an application for a new cheese import licence or for the renewal or amendment 
of an existing cheese import licence; 
 
- the number of the importer's existing cheese import licence, if any and expiry date;  and 
 - the name, address, including postal code, te lephone number, emergency contact number and 
e-mail address. 
 
The application shall have annexed to it: 
 
(a) a copy of the importer's cheese recall program, indicating: 
- the person responsible for carrying out the program, - the cheese coding system description, and - the notification and other procedures to effect the recall; 
 
(b) a list of cheeses expected to be imported during the period of the cheese import licence, and 
the country in which they originate;  and 
  G/LIC/N/3/CAN/8/Add.1 
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  (c) if the importer has an establishment in Canada for the purpose of cutting, shredding, 
repackaging, etc. (not including storage) of the imported product, other than a registered establishment, the application shall also have annexed : 
 
- plans and specifications for the establishment including description of the location of the 
establishment in relation to adjacent facilities, intended uses of rooms and types and location 
of equipment to be used, 
 - a copy of the sanitation program for the establishment, indicating:  - the person responsible for carrying out the program,  
 - the equipment and chemical agents available for use to bring about and maintain clean and 
 - the measures proposed to be taken to  ensure clean and sanitary conditions,  
 - a copy of the pest control program  for the establishment, indicating: 
 - the person responsible for carrying out the program, and  
 - the measures proposed to be taken to safely and effectively control insects, birds, rodents     
    and other vermin, and  - a document indicating the source of water to be used
 at the establishment for drinking or for 
cheese preparation and a copy of a certificate of microbiological analysis of this water . 
 
11. Brokers or importers are re quired to submit the following doc uments to the regional Import 
Service Centres (ISC) for processing:  
- the Request for Release Approval (for chees e, import licence number indicated in the 
comments section) (CFIA/ACIA 5272),  
 
- Import Declaration (for cheese, import licence number indicated in box 4) (CFIA/ACIA 4560) 
and Import Declaration Annex A - Dairy Products (CFIA/ACIA 5304) if necessary,  
 - any supplementary documents such as the co mmercial invoice, manifest, cargo control 
document.  
 These documents are initially reviewed for co mpleteness and accuracy by the ISC staff, 
including validation of the CFIA cheese import licence number.   
 12. Importers are not required to pay any fee for the issuance, renewal or amendment of a cheese import licence; however, importers are required to pay a dairy product import fee. The dairy product 
import fees reflect the resources needed to mon itor and inspect the product and are based on the 
declared weight of a shipment as per:  
 (a) in the case of a shipment of not more than 500 kg net weight,  $44  
 (b) in the case of a shipment of more than 500 kg  but not more than 2,000 kg net weight an 
amount of $44 for the first 500 kg plus $0.012 per additional kg. 
 
(c) in the case of a shipment of more than 2,000 kg but not more than 6,000 kg net weight an 
amount of $62 for the first 2,000 kg  plus $0.0084 per additional kg. 
 (d) in the case of a shipment of more than 6,000 kg  but not more than 10,000 kg net weight an 
amount of $95.60 for the first 6,000 kg plus $0.0036 per additional kg. 
 G/LIC/N/3/CAN/8/Add.1 
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  (e) in the case of a shipment of more than 10,000 kg net weight an amount of $110 for the first 
10,000 kg plus $0.0012 per additional kg. 
 13. There is no deposit or advance payment required for a cheese import licence. 
 
Conditions of Licensing
 
 
14. The Cheese import licence is not assignable and expires two years after the date of issue 
indicated on it. Prior to expiry, the CFIA administers the renewal process. 
 
15. There is no penalty for non-utilization of licence. 
 16. No.  17.  (a) No. 
 
       (b) No. 
 
Other procedural requirements
 
 
18. Depending on the product and country of origin other programs may have additional 
requirements. e.g., Animal Health. 
 19. No.  
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