New import requirements for pet food products from Thailand
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is updating import requirements for pet food products from Thailand. These changes will help importation to continue more smoothly and prevent delays.
New Procedure for the Annex 1 facility questionnaire
| The DLD (Thai veterinary authority) will visit each approved exporting Thai facility at minimum once per year and fill out a single Annex 1 which will cover all exports from that facility for a 12-month period, instead of filling out an Annex 1 for every new import permit.Before a facility adds new animal origin ingredients or imports animal origin ingredients from a new country, they must first get an updated Annex 1 from the DLD. The DLD will send the updated Annex 1 to the CFIA within 30 days of its signature date.The DLD will ensure the CFIA receives a new Annex 1 before the old one expires to avoid disruption to trade.There is a new a bilingual version of the Annex 1 with English and Thai statements for use for imports from Thailand. |
Approval of Facilities
| New facilities recommended by DLD for approval by the CFIA must only export canned or hermetically sealed pet food to Canada. New facilities will be prohibited from exporting pet treats, dry or kibbled pet food, freeze dried pet food, or pet supplements to Canada until further notice.Facilities that are already approved may continue exporting only those products for which they were approved (subject to review by the CFIA). |
New Import Permit Requirements
| All import permits for canned or hermetically sealed pet food from all approved facilities will be identical and require the same certification statements to reduce the risk of error.The zoosanitary statements that will be required for canned pet food can be found in the Notice to Industry. |
We hope this information is helpful to you and will help you to prepare for these upcoming changes. The timeline of changes will depend partially on the DLD, but we will advise import permit holders when your import permit has been modified (at no cost to you) and will be flexible during the transition.
If you have any questions about these changes, please contact the Animal Products and By-Products import inbox at APABPImport@inspection.gc.ca. For routine inquiries, your local CFIA office continues to be your first point of contact.