The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published information on the requirements, tools and programs available when importing small packets of seed into Canada.
Seeds in small packets, intended primarily for home gardens, and imported by home gardeners or by commercial businesses, must comply with the requirements of the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations.
Imported seed must not contain Canadian prohibited noxious weed seeds and must meet the minimum standards for other weed and crop seed as prescribed by the Seeds Regulations. The importer is required to keep the seed separate from all other seed and intact in its packaging at the import’s first destination until a Notice of Import Conformity is issued indicating that the seed meets the requirements of the Seeds Regulations unless an exemption to this requirement applies.
There are many tools and programs available to assist importers in understanding import requirements and to expedite the Import Conformity Assessment (ICA) process. Tools available to importers include: CFIA’s Automated Import Requirements System (AIRS): The ABCs of Seed Importation into Canada and many others.
To learn more, visit the CFIA website.