The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated the Policy on import (return) to Canada of meat products that were exported from Canada to include new operational procedures and a new application form (form CFIAA 5980) which is a PDF fillable document. The policy applies to meat products shipments returned from all destinations.
New operational procedures: Return (import) of exported meat products from the United States, pending the results of U.S. laboratory analysis and Operational procedure: Processing applications for the import (return) of edible meat products that were exported from Canada.
Form 5980: Application/authorization form to return exported edible Canadian meat products to Canada (CFIA form 5980).
The new form is replacing:
- The Application / authorization form for returning legally exported edible Canadian meat products to Canada from countries other than United States; and
- The Annex J: Application to return Canadian products exported to the United States.
The CFIA has implemented a 3-month transition period starting on October 1st, 2024, to allow a gradual transition to the updated policy and the use of the new application form. During that transition period CFIA will continue to process meat returns using old application process and forms.