Canada issues new notice on textiles and apparel imports from the EU under CETA

Global Affairs Canada announced a new notice that replaces Notice to Importers No. 899 dated September 1st, 2017. Notice to Importers no. 1069, published February 14th, 2022, provides the current updated policies and practices pertaining to the administration of textiles and apparel (TPL) for import from the European Union (EU) and its member states under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This update is vital to importers who bring textiles and apparel from the EU into Canada, as it will affect the processes they use.

Textiles means products that are included in item 86.98 of the Import Control List, namely, textiles that originate in the European Union and its member states and that comply with the product description and sufficient production criteria referred to in Table C.3 of Annex 5-A to Annex 5 of the Protocol on Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures of the CETA for import from the European Union.

Apparel means products that are included in item 86.99 of the Import Control List, namely, apparel that originates in the European Union and its member states and that complies with the product description and sufficient production criteria referred to in Table C.4 of Annex 5-A to Annex 5 of the Protocol on Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures of the CETA for import from the European Union.

In accordance with the CETA Protocol on Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures, the exporter of the product is required to provide an origin declaration to the importer. In order for the importer to identify origin quota imports, and to inform the importer of the application of Annex 5-A, the exporter must include a reference to Annex 5-A on the commercial invoice or any other commercial document. In accordance with paragraph 4 of Annex 5-A, Canada shall not count any products against the annual origin quota without such reference.

Shipment-specific permits are required for imports of all origin quota textiles and apparel from the European Union and its member states to obtain the preferential tariff rate under CETA.

Shipment-specific permits are available for import of these goods, on a first-come, first-served basis, upon submission of a duly completed shipment-specific permit application. Once an origin quota has been fully utilized, permits will not be issued for the remainder of the quota year. The utilization tables are available here.

Refer to the Handbook of Export and Import Commodity Codes for the list of EIPA commodity codes for textiles and apparel requiring an import permit.

You are eligible for an import permit if you are a resident of Canada and you are an individual who ordinarily resides in Canada, or you are a corporation with a head office in Canada or that operates a branch office in Canada.

For further information or inquiries email:
CETA Origin Quotas for Textiles and Apparel
Email: [email protected]

Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) for Textiles and Apparel
Email: [email protected]