G/SPS/N/CAN/1445  
 
5 July 2022  
(22-5172) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Canadian Food Inspection Agency  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  All domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ) and their hybrids for commercial 
purposes (implicated HS Code: 010619 -2083)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Africa ( Algeria ; Angola; Benin; Botswana; 
Burkina  Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central Africa n Republic; Chad; Comoros ; 
Congo; Côte d'Ivoire;  Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Egypt; 
Equatorial  Guinea ; Eritrea ; Eswatini;  Ethiopia ; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; 
Guinea -Bissau; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya ; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; 
Mauritania ; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; N igeria; Rwanda; Sao  Tome 
and Principe ; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia ; South Africa;  South  Sudan ; Sudan ; 
Tanzania  [including Zanzibar ]; Togo; Tunisia;  Uganda; Western Sahara ; Zambia ; 
Zimbabwe ), Americas and Caribbean (Belize;  Bolivia , Plurinational State o f; Brazil; 
Colombia; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Guyana; 
Haiti; Honduras;  Peru;  Suriname; Venezuela , Bolivarian Republic of ), Asia and the 
Middle East, Eastern Europe (Afghanistan; Armenia; Azerbaijan ; Bangladesh;  
Belarus; Brunei Darussalam ; Cambodia; China  [excluding Hong Kong,  China;  Macao 
and Chinese Taipei ]; Georgia; India; Indonesia; Iran ; Iraq; Jordan; Kazakhstan; 
Kuwait , the State of ; Kyrgyz  Republic ; Lao People's Democratic Republic ; Lebanon; 
Malaysia; Moldova , Republic of ; Mongolia; Myanmar  [Burma ]; Nepal; Oman; 
Pakistan; Philippines; Qatar; Russian Federation ; Saudi  Arabia , Kingdom of ; 
Sri Lanka;  Syria; Tajikistan; Thailand; Türkiye; Turkmenistan ; Ukraine; United Arab 
Emirates; Uzbekistan ; Viet Nam; Yemen ) 
5. Title of the notified document:  New measure prohibiting commercial dog imports from 
countries at high -risk for dog rabies . Language(s):  English and French . Number of 
pages:   
6. Description of content:  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will prohibit the 
importation of commercial dogs from the countries specified above, which have been 
identified as posing a high -risk for rabies caused by canine -variant viruses.  
Rabies is a reportable disease in Canada and Canada is free of rabies caused by ca nine-
variant viruses. In order to prevent the re -introduction of rabies caused by canine -variant 
viruses and to protect the health and safety of both animals and humans within Canada, 
the CFIA will be implementing import restrictions for dogs from high -risk countries.  
As of 28 September 2022, all dogs with a commercial end -use, as defined by the CFIA, 
from high -risk countries will not be permitted entry into Canada. As of this date, the CFIA 
will also no longer issue permits for commercial dogs less than ei ght months of age from G/SPS/N/CAN/1445  
 
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  high-risk countries. All shipments of commercial dogs (regardless of age) that are on route 
to Canada must arrive on or before 27 September 2022 to be eligible for importation. 
Any dog from a high -risk country that is presented for importation into Canada on or after 
28 September 2022 and deemed to be a commercial import will not be allowed to enter 
Canada. There will be no exceptions made to this new measure regardless of the age of 
the dog or whether or not an import permit was previously required. Canada respectfully 
requests that all trading partners from high -risk countries take the necessary steps to 
ensure commercial dogs are not exported to Canada.  
The importation of personal pet dogs and assistance dogs, as defi ned by the CFIA, from 
high-risk countries will continue to be permitted under the CFIA's currently established 
import requirements. The CFIA's Automated Import Reference System  (AIRS) is the source 
for Canada's import requirements.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage fro m pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international st andard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 28 September 2022  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 28 September 2022  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 28 September 2022  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 28 July 2022  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail add ress (if 
available) of other body:   G/SPS/N/CAN/1445  
 
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  13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be found at:  
https://inspection.canada.ca/animal -health/terrestrial -
animals/diseases/reportable/rabies/notice -to-
industry/eng/1656424333818/1656424334393  (English)  
https://inspection.canada.ca/sante -des-animaux/animaux -terrestres/maladies/declaration -
obligato ire/rage/avis -a-l-industrie/fra/1656424333818/1656424334393 (French)  
 
Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
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Canada  
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