Archived - Urgent action required for operators of fish and seafood establishments: renewal of CIFER registrations

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) would like to remind Canadian industry that registrations currently in China's Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system must be updated and renewed 3 to 6 months before their expiry date to remain eligible to export to China.

All Canadian fish and seafood establishment registrations have an expiry date of December 31, 2022.

Update

The CFIA has been in contact with the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) and has confirmed that the renewal option (Application for extension) is now available for fish and seafood establishments until December 31, 2022. The CFIA is now advising fish and seafood establishments to take immediate actions to maintain their eligibility to export to China.

Immediate next steps

Log into CIFER and check if the "Application for extension" option is available for your establishment by clicking on the "Extend" option.

If the "Application for extension" is available, proceed with the "Application for extension" to request renewal of your registration as soon as possible.

If the "Application for extension" is not available, it may be due to an active "Application for modification" in the system, as the system only allows 1 application at a time. You can access active applications by going to Integrated Query, Application Form Query and selecting the appropriate application. There will be a "delete" button in the top left corner if the application is still under the establishment's control to delete. If you confirm that you do not have an active "Application for modification" and you still cannot access the "Extend" option available to start an "Application for extension", please contact CFIA.

If you have an "Application for modification" with the CFIA for review and submission to GACC: CFIA will reject your application so that you may submit the "Application for extension" as soon as possible.

If you have an "Application for modification" with GACC for review and approval: Await further instructions. The CFIA has been in contact with GACC to seek a solution for these applications.

Once you submit an "Application for extension", you must contact your local CFIA contact point by email to advise that a renewal request has been submitted in CIFER. In the email, establishments must provide:

• name of the establishment
• the CFIA establishment ID/registration number
• completed Application for Registration in CIFER (PDF template is obtained from the local CFIA office contact point)
• completed Aquatics Conditions and Key Points (Word template is obtained from the local CFIA office contact point – must be submitted under 4MB in size. Additional documents mentioned in checklist are not required to be submitted)

Note: when submitting your application, the name of the legal representative should be the name of the person who is legally responsible for the establishment/vessel. This is the name that is to be entered in the application and will also need to be the person who signs all documentation for CIFER.

Establishments may also request from their local CFIA contact point an overview PowerPoint presentation for the process of completing and submitting an "Application for extension".

We will continue to seek further information and clarity from China to ensure trade is not disrupted. We will continue to provide clear direction for industry once we receive further information from GACC. We understand that this process is challenging, and we will keep industry apprised of any new developments.