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Export policies: animal products and by-products

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Apart from the Health of Animals Act and Regulations, Section 69, which provides the regulatory authority, numerous factors are considered in establishing zoosanitary export agreements.

The objective of the Export Program is to ensure that only healthy animals and animal products and by-products which meet the import health requirements of an importing country are exported from Canada, and that in the case of live animals, that they are transported in a humane manner.

Under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations, livestock, poultry, animal embryos and animal semen exported from Canada must be accompanied by a health certificate issued or endorsed by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinary inspector. The health certificate is a legal document which confirms that the sanitary requirements of an importing country have been complied with.

As a member of the Word Trade Organization (WTO) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada must observe international trade rules, which confer both rights and obligations. It is within the CFIA's mandate to support and enhance exports. Accordingly, the CFIA works in collaboration with clients and stakeholders to ensure that trading partners also meet the obligations of international trade agreements, as appropriate.

For export negotiations, responsibilities are divided into commodities such as live ruminants, companion animals, animal products, or poultry, to name a few. Each commodity is supported by a team consisting of Senior Veterinary Officers and Veterinary Program Specialists. Their responsibilities include initiating negotiations when appropriate; negotiating the best possible import conditions with officials of an importing country's veterinary service; ensuring that agreed conditions of export are as practical and cost-effective as possible and that they reflect the Canadian situation; participating in missions abroad and hosting missions of foreign veterinary authorities; interpreting and providing advice on export conditions to area/regional staff and the public; and liaising with scientific staff in laboratories and elsewhere to ensure that tests being requested can be carried out and are based on the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH; founded as Office International des Épizooties (OIE)) recommendations and/or are the most appropriate test available.

Once a zoosanitary export agreement has been established, a veterinary health certificate is created and provided to the CFIA's Area Export Officer who are responsible for responding to queries from the public and facilitating all export shipments. If you are interested in exporting a commodity, please contact the Export Officer responsible for the province in which you reside or from which you are interested in exporting a commodity.

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