On July 30, 2026, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) implemented a critical change to import declaration procedures for meat products, directly impacting importers and brokers. Effective immediately, with a 45-day transition period, all slaughter establishment numbers must be declared precisely as they appear on the Official Meat Inspection Certificate (OMIC) within the Integrated Import Declaration (IID) system, for each applicable product line. This change applies universally to all meat import shipments, regardless of origin (Offshore and USA).
This new mandatory requirement, communicated by the CFIA’s National Import Service Centre (NISC), is designed to significantly enhance verification activities, streamline transaction processing, and bolster the overall integrity of Canada’s import controls for meat commodities.
What You Need to Know:
- Exact Match Required: The slaughter establishment numbers entered into the IID must be an exact match to those listed on the OMIC.
- Per Product Line: This declaration is required for each related product line within your import.
- Multiple Establishments: If an OMIC lists more than one slaughter establishment number, each individual number must be entered separately.
- Using Registration Code 122: For each separate establishment number, you will need to use registration code 122. This code can be utilized multiple times per commodity line, but only one establishment value may be entered with each use of the code.
A Shift from Past Practices:
This directive represents a significant change from previous procedures. The CFIA emphasizes that brokers and importers should be aware of this procedural update.
45-Day Transition Period:
A 45-day transition period will commence upon the official publication of the CFIA notice. During this time, shipments will continue to be processed as normal. This window is provided for industry stakeholders to update their internal procedures, systems, and arrangements with third-party service providers to ensure full compliance.
Post-Transition Enforcement:
Following the completion of the transition period, the CFIA will begin verifying compliance. IID declarations found to be missing the required slaughter establishment information may be subject to rejection.
Our Recommendation:
We strongly advise all clients importing meat products to review their internal processes, inform their suppliers, and work closely with their customs brokers to ensure, where there is more than one slaughter establishment number provided on an OMIC, that the slaughter establishment number is identified for each pertinent commodity on the Customs documentation. Proactive adjustments will prevent potential delays and rejections once the transition period ends.
Learn more:
If you have any questions, please contact your Livingston account representative.