Imports of Certain Centrifugal Knives Now Prohibited

Canada Border Services Agency CBSA recently issued a Customs Notice CN18-01 advising on a CITT decision rendered on centrifugal knives which open automatically by centrifugal force now considered as a prohibited weapon.

Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) rendered a decision in November 2017 on knives which open automatically by centrifugal force (centrifugal knives). Centrifugal knives will be classified as prohibited weapons if the following conditions are met:

  1. a knife has a blade that opens by centrifugal force, when the blade is released from the handle into the fully ejected and locked position with a simple and brisk outwardly flick of the wrist; and
  2. it includes knives that require some preliminary or simultaneous minimal manipulation of either a flipper or other non-edged parts of the blade.

Please be advised that the CBSA will immediately prohibit the importation of all knives that open as per the CITT’s decision. For more detailed information concerning the decision, please consult the decision posted on the Tribunal’s website at: CITT Appeal No. AP-2017-012.

The CBSA’s policy on the importation of prohibited weapons is available in Memorandum D19-13-2, Importing and Exporting Firearms, Weapons and Devices. The Memoranda D19-13-2 will be revised to reflect the CITT decision on centrifugal opening knives.