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Animals > Imports > Policies / Procedures

Restricted Feeder Cattle from the United States
(Year Round Importation)

AHPD-DSAE-IE-2001-14-5

The definition of restricted feeder cattle is cattle that are imported for the purpose of feeding and subsequent slaughter. This is defined as steers, bulls, cows, heifers or weaned calves, imported for the purpose of fattening and slaughter.

Cows with calves at foot, cows or heifers heavy in calf, or unweaned calves (including calves on milk replacer) do not meet the definition of restricted feeder cattle and should be refused entry under the regulations.

The intent of the restricted feeder regulations is that the animals will proceed to slaughter within the time frame expected for animals of the age at which they are imported.

The provisions of the USDA BSE Rule governing the importation of slaughter and feeder cattle from Canada, required the import policy/procedures of the restricted feeder cattle program to be modified to make imported feeder animals eligible for export to the United States.

Feeder cattle being imported must be less than 30 months of age at the time of importation and must be sent for slaughter in Canada or the United States before they are 30 months of age.

Instructions for Importers

Pertinent legislation:

While the importation of restricted feeder cattle must be carried out in a manner that meets all relative provisions of the Health of Animals Act and Regulations and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act, the following represent some of the specific areas governing the import of restricted feeders:

1.	Section 16 (1) of the Health of Animals Act: " Where a person imports into Canada any animal, animal product, animal byproduct, animal food or veterinary biologic, or any other thing used in respect of animals or contaminated by a disease or toxic substance, the person shall, either before or at the time of importation, present the animal, animal product, animal by-product, animal food, veterinary biologic or other thing to an inspector, officer or customs officer who may inspect it or detain it until it has been inspected or otherwise dealt with by an inspector or officer".
2.	Section 12(1)(a) of the Health of Animals Regulations, which reads: 12(1) Subject to section 51, no person shall import a regulated animal except (a) in accordance with a permit issued by the Minister under section 160;
3.	Section 189 (1) of the Health of Animals Regulations: This section states that: "every person who imports an animal shall apply or cause the application of an approved tag to the animal either before importation or as soon as the animal reaches its initial destination." The relevant information must be reported to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) administrator and to the local CFIA office within 30 days.
4.	Sections of the Health of Animals Act concerning "prohibitions" Concealment - Section 8. "No person shall conceal the existence of a reportable disease or toxic substance among animals." Keeping diseased animals - Section 9. "No person shall turn out, keep or graze on any undivided or unenclosed land any animal that the person knows is affected or contaminated by, or has been exposed to, any reportable disease or toxic substance." Bringing diseased animals to market - Section 10. "No person shall, without a licence issued by an inspector or officer, bring into any market, fair or other place any animal that is known by the person to be affected or contaminated by, or has been exposed to, any reportable disease or toxic substance." Selling or disposing of diseased animals: Section 11. No person shall, without a licence issued by an inspector or officer, sell or offer or expose for sale or otherwise transfer the ownership of:
	a)	any animal or any part of an animal that the person knows is affected or contaminated by, or has been exposed to, any reportable disease or toxic substance, or
	b)	any animal product or animal by-product that the person knows was obtained from an animal that was affected or contaminated by, or was exposed to, any reportable disease or toxic substance at the time of its death, whether or not the person is the owner of the animal, animal product or animal by-product.
5.	Sections 24 (1); 25 and 26 of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act; part 11 of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Fee Notice section 2 (1) "The fees set out in the table to this Part, except those set out in item 20, shall be paid when the service is requested".
Part 1. Application
1.	The applicant must be a Canadian resident or corporation.
2.	The feedlot must be located outside the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia for year round importation. Feedlots within the Okanagan Valley may be approved to import from any qualifying state during the October 1^st to March 31^st interval or from Hawaii or Alaska, which are recognized to be free of bluetongue during the balance of the year.
3.	The application for a permit (CFIA 5083) is made in writing and submitted to the CFIA district office.
4.	Apply for credit with the CFIA district office (Financial form 3162). When credit is approved an account number is issued. The fees applied at the time of importation are invoiced to this account (see part 5).
5.	Pay fees for the consideration of the application.
6.	Operator submits diagram of the layout of the premises and documentation of the feedlot's management practices to facilitate review of application's ability to carry out required risk management measures.
7.	The feedlot operator shall accompany CFIA staff when performing the initial inspection. (The operator or operator's representative shall accompany CFIA staff at all subsequent inspections.)
8.	Demonstrate: the handling and tracking of newly imported cattle, regimes to complete the mandatory post entry treatments, maintenance and submission of records, any necessary management or structural modifications, and a records management system that can track movements of animals into, within and from the feedlot to an eligible external destination.
9.	Pay fees for the inspection of the feedlot premises. Payment of this fee does not guarantee the issuance of a permit.
Part 2. Import Requirements
1.	The animals in the shipment are accompanied by an certificate of an official veterinarian of the United States or a certificate of a veterinarian endorsed by an official veterinarian of the United States that clearly and uniquely identifies each animal and shows that:
	a)	The cattle were born in Canada or the United States and have been continuously resident since birth in the U.S. or Canada and the U.S.
	b)	For at least 60 days immediately prior to export, the cattle were continually resident in an exporting state that:
		A)	is designated by the Minister as a free, low-incidence or medium-incidence state for bluetongue as defined in the Health of Animals Regulations (Import Reference Document), [Ineligible states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina and Texas.]
		B)	is designated by the United States Department of Agriculture as a Brucellosis Class Free State, and
		C)	is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as a tuberculosis accredited-free state.
	c)	the animals were inspected by a veterinarian within 30 days preceding the date of importation and it was determined that:
		i)	the animals were free from any communicable disease,
		ii)	the animals were, to the best of the knowledge and belief of a veterinarian, not exposed to any communicable disease within 60 days preceding the date of the inspection,
		iii)	the animals were fit to travel and can be transported to Canada without undue suffering by reason of infirmity, illness, injury, fatigue, or any other cause,
		iv)	the heifers/cows in the shipment were not pregnant, and,
		v)	the animals meet the conditions shown on the certificate.
2.	The official health certificate shall include:
	i)	the name and address of the importer,
	ii)	the location of the importing feedlot if other than that of the importer,
	iii)	the name and address of the exporter,
	iv)	the CFIA import permit number,
	v)	individual animal identification which must include the USDA eartag number, age in months, breed, colour and markings if any, sex, any other identification present on the animal including brands, and registration number (if any).
3.	Official USDA or State seals shall be applied to all animal exits of the truck(s) or trailer(s) containing the shipment by the accredited veterinarian following loading. The seal numbers and the number of animals in the shipment must be recorded on the certificate, and the certificate initialled to verify their application. All cattle exported to Canada as a restricted feeder must be accompanied by an original certificate and one copy of that certificate. If the shipment is contained in several vehicles, the original plus one copy of the certificate shall accompany the initial vehicle of the shipment to the Canadian port of entry. Subsequent vehicles shall be accompanied by two copies of the export certificate, upon one of which are recorded the numbers of the seals applied to the vehicle and the number of animals being exported in the vehicle.
4.	A copy of the permit to import restricted feeder cattle into Canada must accompany every shipment.
Part 3. Standards for Operation of Feedlot Approved to Import U.S. Restricted Feeder Cattle
1.	Restricted Feeder Cattle Program Standards including those for:
	a)	vector control,
	b)	movement of restricted feeders between approved feedlots,
	c)	movement of Canadian cattle from importing approved feedlots, and
	d)	sentinel animals which are found as addenda to this document, shall be fully understood and observed.
2.	Each approved feedlot that imports restricted feeders during the period of April 1^st to September 30^th shall maintain sentinel animals in the feedlot according to program standards.
3.	Imported cattle must not be commingled with other feeders prior to or during processing.
4.	Upon arrival at the importing premise:
	a)	the imported animals shall be presented for inspection,
	b)	the cattle imported as restricted feeders must be identified with a unique CCIA USF* specific eartag, or in Quebec with an ATQ eartag, applied promptly that enables the producer to maintain segregation of the imported cattle;
	c)	to ensure eligibility of the imported animals for re-export to the U.S. for slaughter, the importer shall maintain a record cross-referencing the Canadian tag applied to each imported animal with the USDA eartag on the animal, in case that the U.S. tag is lost; and
	d)	a Permethrin or another approved product at the label recommended dosage for the particular formulation of the product is to be administered at the time of arrival to all cattle imported as restricted feeders (other than cattle from the State of Hawaii).
5.	Immediately after processing, the cattle must be moved to pen(s) that do not contain cattle other than cattle imported as restricted feeders or domestic cattle that have been designated as sentinel animals for the purpose of monitoring for the transmission of reportable or notifiable diseases.
6.	The feedlot operator must keep a treatment log that identifies the shipment, dates of treatment and product used or alternatively, the feedlot operator must provide a signed declaration that all imported animals have been treated in accordance with the permit conditions.
7.	The feedlot operator must not slaughter treated animals for use in food until the prescribed withdrawal time for the Permethrin or any other anti-parasitic treatment has elapsed.
8.	The CCIA/ATQ eartags used to identify the imported animals must be reported to CFIA and the relative animal identification agency within 30 days of their application.
9.	USDA tags shall not be removed from imported restricted feeder animals.
10.	Once post-entry treatment and inspection are complete, the imported animals are eligible for immediate slaughter (following any appropriate withdrawal period), feeding for slaughter or export, but are not eligible to enter the national breeding herd or for backgrounding other than in a feedlot approved to import restricted feeders.
11.	All cattle in the feedlot, in addition to the restricted feeders, must bear a CCIA tag.
12.	The CCIA/ATQ tags must be reported by the feedlot as retired to both CCIA and CFIA within 30 days of slaughter or export of the animals.
13.	Surgical equipment (used for dehorning, castration, etc.) should be properly sterilized or disposed of after each use, and the sterilization procedure should be approved by the prescribing veterinarian.
14.	Blood on handling equipment, (chutes, metal alleyways, etc.) shall be properly cleansed.
15.	If health treatment necessitates hospitalization, restricted feeder cattle shall be confined to the designated hospital pen.
16.	The operator of an approved feedlot must have and maintain a record keeping system which can demonstrate the movements of animals within and from the feedlot. Effective methods must be in place for the tracking all cattle within the feedlot, and their movement between feedlots that have been approved to receive restricted feeder cattle, to slaughter and for export to the U.S. The system must also have the capability of recording the identity for a period of not less than one year of Canadian cattle that have left the feedlot for purposes other than feeding in another approved feedlot, slaughter or export.
17.	Health records shall include any post-mortems performed by a licensed veterinarian on imported restricted feeders that die while in the feedlot.
18.	During any time of the year, restricted feeders may be moved to another feedlot approved to receive restricted feeders, directly to slaughter, or directly to a Canada/U.S. port of entry for export to the United States.
19.	When the importer is not the owner of the animals in the approved feedlot, he will contractually arrange with the animals' owners or take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that no animals are removed from the feedlot except in accordance with the provisions of the import permit.
20.	Should anaplasmosis, a disease reportable under the Health of Animals Act, be diagnosed in an animal or animals in a feedlot approved to import restricted feeders: the CFIA shall be immediately notified, the importer will keep the affected animal(s) separate and may apply treatment for clinical manifestations of disease under the supervision of a licenced veterinarian, the importer shall enhance vector control activities as deemed necessary by CFIA, and the affected animal(s) shall not leave the feedlot except directly to slaughter accompanied by a licence issued by a CFIA inspector or officer.
	* CCIA USF tags are identification tags that were developed specifically for use in animals imported under the restricted feeder program. New flap or RF button tags will have a unique blue colour for restricted feeder cattle. Pending their availability, the traditional USF tags may be used.
Part 4. Border Requirements and Inspection
1.	Upon arrival at the port of entry, the shipment of cattle must be presented to Canadian Border Services Agency personnel with the following documentation: two copies of the CFIA import permit, the original and at least one copy of the export health certificate issued by the certifying veterinarian, Commercial Invoice
Part 5. Inspection at Destination (Feedlot approved to import restricted feeders)
1.	The importer shall notify the relevant inspection service of the date of arrival of the cattle, as far in advance as possible, but no later than 24 hours after arrival.
2.	Upon arrival at the permitted feedlot, the seal will be broken and the cattle unloaded in a manner acceptable to the inspector designated under the Health of Animals Act.
3.	The animals shall be presented for inspection and processing as specified in Part 3.
4.	Designated feedlots will be monitored for signs of clinical disease by CFIA staff on a periodic basis, in addition to daily observations made by feedlot personnel and herd veterinarians. Should either bluetongue or anaplasmosis be observed clinically, the feedlot operator and/or the herd veterinarian will notify the CFIA district veterinarian immediately.
5.	Pay fees for the import permit and the post-import inspections.
Part 6. Audit
1.	The operator of a feedlot containing restricted feeders must submit by the 10^th day following the end of each month, the following documentation relative to restricted feeder cattle to the CFIA office responsible for issuing the import permit: the export health certificate(s) that accompanied all import shipments confirmation of inspection of imported feeders at feedlot - verification of the notification of CCIA or ATQ relative to tag numbers applied to imported animals record of pen allocation, correlated to identification listed on export health certificate invoice for purchase of Permethrin or other approved anti-parasitic product records of treatment of all imported cattle results of any post mortems performed by a licensed veterinarian on imported cattle movements of restricted feeders between approved feedlots movements of Canadian cattle from the feedlot for purposes other than for slaughter or for export records of disposition (destination) of the imported animals validation of the retirement of CCIA/ATQ tags from animals that have been exported, sent to slaughter or died for any reason.
2.	The feedlot operator must submit the above required documentation compiled in a form that is acceptable to the CFIA office for auditing purposes.
3.	Audits for compliance with the requirements of the program may take place at any time.
Part 7. Permit Cancellation
1.	An import permit may be cancelled at the request of the applicant.
2.	An import permit may be cancelled by notification to the permit holder following identification of a deficiency or non compliance.
3.	Import permits may be re-issued following re-application and approval of the premises or demonstration of correction of the deficiency.
4.	Import permits will not be re-issued to a premises that has been found to contravene the import permit conditions (Example: documentation audit or inspection reveals that imported restricted feeders were not treated in accordance with the post entry requirements or animals were removed from the feedlot other than in accordance with the provisions of the import permit and program standards as listed in Parts 2,3 & 6.)
Part 8. Deregulation of a restricted feedlot
1.	A feedlot that has held a permit to import restricted feeders must comply with all the conditions pertaining to a feedlot approved to import restricted feeders until such time as all animals on the premises at the time of permit expiry or cancellation have been removed according to the provisions of the import permit and program standards as listed in Parts 2 & 3.
Part 9. Penalties
1.	Monetary penalties as prescribed under the Agriculture and Agri-food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act and Regulations may be applied for non-compliance.