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Animals > Manuals > Accredited Veterinarian Manual  

5.0 Export to the U.S.

(Part 2 - 5.3 and 5.4)

5.3 Export to the U.S. - Cattle Under 30 Months for Immediate Slaughter

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Health Certificate
1. The export certificate HA 2183 Export of Cattle or Bison for Slaughter from Canada to the U.S. of America and the Agent or Owner and/or Exporter's Declaration must be used.
2. The cattle must:
  • have been born in Canada or the U.S. and not have been in any other region; or
  • have been legally imported into Canada from a bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)–free region and have been unconditionally released and eligible to move freely within Canada for at least 60 days before export to the U.S.
3. The cattle for export must have been kept in Canada or the U.S. during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment to the U.S., and during those 60 days, Canada must have been free from foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
4. The animals for export must not be in quarantine in Canada.
5. All the females in the shipment must be certified as not pregnant on the basis of the protocol described below.
6. The cattle for export must have been inspected and found to be free from any evidence of communicable disease and, as far as it can be determined, have not been exposed to any such disease during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment.
7. The cattle must be less than 30 months of age when imported into the U.S.
8. The cattle and bison must have been subject to a ruminant feed ban equivalent to the requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
9. No tests are required on cattle for immediate slaughter.

Certification Procedure
10. Within the 30 days before the planned export date, an accredited veterinarian or CFIA veterinarian must examine each animal presented for export.
Age Determination
11. All the animals in this shipment must be under 30 months of age.
12. Exporters must present to accredited veterinarians only appropriately aged animals. Accredited veterinarians will then visually inspect all cattle to screen out animals that appear to be over age on the basis of physical characteristics such as size. Such animals must be removed from the group and clearly identified. These animals must not be reconsidered for export unless registered birth date information is provided.
13. The age of any animals that pass this preliminary screening must then be confirmed by an examination of the animal's dentition by the accredited veterinarian.

  • The accredited veterinarian will be required to reject the entire load presented for export if the rejection rate of cattle over thirty months is greater than 10%. The animals rejected during the preliminary screening or those rejected as a precaution are not included in the 10% calculation.

  • To continue with the export process, the exporter will be required to re-assemble the load and take actions to ensure that only eligible animals are presented to the accredited veterinarian for certification.
14. If the accredited veterinarian is certifying cattle that have been assembled from multiple premises or if the shipment is determined to involve other higher-risk situations as outlined below, a record of the dental evaluation should accompany the veterinary health certificate when it is presented to the district veterinarian for endorsement:
  • Exporters who ship infrequently (90 days or more between shipments);
  • Exporters who ship assembled loads when animals have an unknown or uncertain origin, especially if the animals are near the 30-month age limit;
  • Shipments involving inexperienced exporters or newly accredited veterinarians; and,
  • Shipments when accredited veterinarians have observed 10% or higher non-compliance with age requirements during preliminary inspections.
15. The physical record is to be based on the document Export Certification - Verification of Dental Examination (available in district offices). Depending on the size of the shipment, it may be appropriate to complete this document for each animal presented for export certification; however, in other circumstances, the document may be used as a "key" and only the number of the diagram most closely approximating the dental evaluation would be referred to on the master sheet. Regardless of which method is used, it is imperative that there is an association between the veterinary health certificate number, the individual ear tag number, and the dental evaluation.
16. The following records may be used instead of dentition if the birth dates are available:
  • Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ);
  • Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA);
  • Purebred registration certificate; or
  • Breeding or birth records from the herd of origin may be used if the accredited veterinarian considers the data reliable.
17. If the dental examination is used to determine age, it is preferable for the inspection to be conducted during the 14 days preceding export.
References for Age Determination on the Basis of Dentition

Figure II

Permanent Teeth Lingual Aspect
Incisor and Canine Teeth of Ox 2½ years of age

Permanent Teeth Lingual Aspect

Extract: Sission and Grossman's
The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals
Volume 1

The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals - Cattle less than 30 months of age The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals 0 Cattle at 30 months of age
Cattle less than 30 months of age Cattle at 30 months of age

Note: For the purposes of certification of cattle and bison for export to the U.S., an animal is considered to be 30 months or older if either tooth of the second set of incisors has erupted through the gums.
Pregnancy Determination
18. Only animals confirmed not to be pregnant are eligible for export under the U.S. Minimal Risk Rule. Palpation, ultrasound, blood test, and a pregnancy termination agent are the four accepted methods for completing pregnancy diagnosis. The requirements for each of these methods are as follows:

a) Pregnancy diagnosis by palpation:

  • Beginning January 12, 2006, new shipments must be segregated and physically separated by gender for at least 60 days before the palpation test is completed to prevent the misdiagnosis of early-term pregnancies which can be difficult to detect;
  • Each animal in the shipment must be inspected; and
  • If both uterine horns cannot be palpated for any reason to confirm that the animal is not pregnant, the animal must be considered pregnant and deemed ineligible for export.

b) Ultrasound Technology:

  • Beginning January 12, 2006, new shipments must be segregated and physically separated by gender at least 45 days before the ultrasound diagnostic technique is used to prevent the misdiagnosis of early-term pregnancies which can be difficult to detect;
  • Each animal in the shipment must be inspected;
  • All suspect cases must be considered pregnant and deemed ineligible for export; and,
  • The accredited veterinarian must have the necessary experience and training in the use of such technology.

c) Blood Test:

  • The accredited veterinarian must use an approved test for this purpose. The CFIA district veterinarian can provide a list of approved tests/laboratories. The animals must be segregated and physically separated by gender at least 60 days before being presented for this test;
  • Each animal must be tested individually; and
  • This test must not be performed on animals that have received a pregnancy terminating agent as false positive results could occur.

d) Pregnancy Terminating Agent:

  • All heifers confirmed or suspected to be pregnant must be clearly identified and grouped separately from the heifers qualified for export. Exporters may choose to treat such animals with a recognized pregnancy-terminating agent. Each animal treated with this agent must be re-examined using palpation or ultrasound no less than two weeks after the treatment and before export. An exporter may choose to treat every animal in the shipment; however, all treated animals must be examined to confirm they are not pregnant; and
  • If the owner subsequently decides to send these treated animals to be slaughtered in Canada, they must not be slaughtered for use in food for at least two days after their last treatment with these products.
Spayed Heifers
19. Spayed heifers are exempt from pregnancy requirements. A declaration from the veterinarian who performed the surgical procedure must be provided in order for the animal to be certified for export. Any information that assists in confirming the identification of the animal must accompany the declaration, including the official tag number from either the CCIA or ATQ.

Notes:

  • Segregation of gender should be accomplished so that animals in one group cannot physically reach the animals of another group. For example, a group of males and a group of heifers should not be placed in adjacent fields with only a fence separating the two groups.
  • Pregnancy determination by any of the above methods can be performed before the 30-day maximum period between inspection and export, providing the testing is followed by strict segregation by gender.

How to Complete the Canadian Health Certificate (HA 2183)
20. The accredited veterinarian must use the most recent version of the HA 2183 export certificate.
21. For cattle and bison, the official ear tag is the CCIA or ATQ tag. All numbers that appear on the ear tag must be recorded on the export certificate.

Note: While it is not a USDA requirement that the ear tag numbers be listed in ascending numerical order on the certificate, accredited veterinarians are encouraged to complete certificates in this manner. This practice will facilitate inspection at the U.S. port of entry and minimize delays.
22. In the column "AGE (MONTHS)(Estimated)" record the actual age of each animal, if a birth record is available, or an estimated age in months, if aging by dentition is used. An entry such as "less than 30 months" is not acceptable.
23. The routing of the shipment must be based on information provided by the exporter and must include the names of the main highways to be followed in Canada and the U.S. and the name of the location where the animals were loaded in Canada.
24. The accredited veterinarian must complete the export health certificate by entering all the necessary information with the exception of the number of animals in the shipment and the seal numbers. The "Reference number" is assigned by the CFIA district office. The completed and signed health certificate and owner/exporter's declaration will be submitted to a CFIA veterinary inspector to review and, if all requirements are met, endorse it. Any incomplete export certificates will be returned to the accredited veterinarian for completion. A fee is charged for CFIA endorsement. Once endorsed, certificates are returned to the accredited veterinarian, and the owner/exporter's declaration is kept at the district office with a copy of the certificate. The health certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of examination.
25. The accredited veterinarian or their technician must, on the day of export, return to the farm and apply CFIA seals to the transporting vehicles, after verifying that only the animals listed on the export certificate are included in the shipment. A CFIA seal must be applied to every door on the trailer.
26. The accredited veterinarian or their technician must record the number of animals in the shipment and the CFIA seal numbers in the appropriate sections on the endorsed original health certificate, and initial the appropriate section. It is not necessary to repeat this information on the copies of the certificate, but veterinarians must record it on the copy kept in their offices.
27. During loading, if animals must be removed from the shipment after the health certificate has been endorsed by the CFIA veterinary inspector, accredited veterinarians should not cross out any of these animals that are listed on the health certificate. In such cases the accredited veterinarian or their technician must provide two copies of an Addendum: one copy to accompany the shipment, and one to be included in the accredited veterinarian's file. Sample copies of an addendum are available in the district offices. This is not a CFIA document and does not bear the CFIA logo. It may be used as is or printed on the veterinary clinic's letterhead. The addendum must include a description of the animals that were not loaded and their CCIA or ATQ identification numbers.
28. If the seals are broken or missing, or if they do not match the seal numbers recorded on the health certificate, the shipment will be refused entry into the U.S.
29. Before arrival at the U.S. border, the seals cannot be broken by anyone other than a CFIA inspector or a person under the inspector's supervision. If the exporter asks to transfer animals from one truck to another after leaving the farm of origin, the transfer must be performed under the direct supervision of a CFIA inspector. The CFIA inspector will issue an official letter to confirm the change in the seal numbers. The CFIA will charge a fee for this service.
30. A shipment may consist of animals from a single place of export that are transported in from one (1) to eight (8) vehicles that will proceed to the same U.S. port of entry.

a) For a single vehicle

The original and one copy of the official Canadian health certificate (HA 2183) are required for each shipment.

b) For a shipment consisting of one (1) to eight (8) vehicles

The first vehicle to arrive at the U.S. port of entry must have both the original and a copy of the health certificate. All the other vehicles in the convoy must have two copies of the official Canadian health certificate. The numbers of the CFIA seals applied to each vehicle must be recorded on one of the copies of the official Canadian health certificate accompanying the vehicle.

Inspections at U.S. Ports of Entry
31. The animals must be presented at the U.S. port of entry by appointment. The shipment must be accompanied by U.S. Veterinary Services Form 17-29 (Declaration of Importation) and the official Canadian health certificate (HA 2183).
32. Refer to 5.1 Export to the U.S. - General for the list of land ports of entry designated as having the necessary inspection facilities for the entry of animals from Canada. Although the list was provided by the USDA, it is the exporters' responsibility to present their animals to a U.S. port of entry that has the facilities required for the unloading and inspection of such animals.
References

Link to export certificate HA 2183 and the Agent or Owner and/or Exporter's Declaration from the CFIA Web site.
The Export Certification - Verification of Dental Examination APHD-DSAE-IE-2006-1-2AD2 is available from your district veterinarian, as is a sample of the Addendum for Animals Not Included in the Shipment which can be printed on your official letterhead.

5.4 Export to the U.S. - Sheep and Goats Under 12 Months for Feeding

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Health Certification
1. The feedlot of destination must have prior approval from U.S. Veterinary Services to receive feeder sheep and goats from Canada.
2. The HA 2186 Export Sheep or Goats for Feeding from Canada to the United States of America export certificate and the Owner's and Exporter's Declaration must be used.
3. The sheep and goats for export must have been kept in Canada or the U.S. during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment to the U.S. and, during those 60 days, Canada must have been free from foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest.
4. Sheep and goats for export must not be pregnant or must have been castrated.
5. The animals for export must not be in quarantine in Canada.
6. Sheep and goats must be less than 12 months of age when imported into the U.S.
7. The sheep and goats must have been subject to a ruminant feed ban equivalent to the requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
8. Sheep and goats for export must have been inspected and found to be free from any evidence of communicable disease and, as far as it can be determined, must not have been exposed to any such disease during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of shipment.
9. No tests are required for sheep and goats exported to the U.S. for feeding.

Certification Procedure
10. Within the 30 days before the planned export date, an accredited veterinarian or CFIA veterinarian must examine each animal presented for export.
11. The sheep and goats must be permanently and humanely identified before arrival at the port of entry to the U.S. Each animal must bear a "C" mark applied with a freeze brand, hot iron, or other permanent method. This mark must be easily visible and legible on the live animal. The mark must also be visible on the carcass before skinning. The mark cannot be less than one inch or more than 1¼ inches high and must have been applied on the animal's right hip, high on the tail-head.
12. Other means of permanent identification may be used if requested in writing and approved before export by the National Center for Import and Export (NCIE) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Age Determination
13. All the animals in the shipment must be under 12 months of age.
14. The determination of the age of the animals may be based on information obtained from the CCIA or ATQ databases from producer records, or on the examination of the dentition of each animal by the accredited veterinarian or their designated technician. Methods for determining age on the basis of dentition are described below.
15. If the dental examination is used to determine age, it is preferable for the inspection to be conducted during the 14 days preceding export.

Note: For the purposes of certification of sheep and goats for export to the U.S., an animal is considered to be less than 12 months of age if all the deciduous incisors are present. Any sheep or goat that has shed one of the first deciduous incisor teeth is considered to be 12 months of age or older, whether or not the permanent incisor teeth have started to erupt.
References Figures for Age Determination
Small Ruminant Dentition [D]

How to Complete the Canadian Health Certificate (HA 2186)
16. The accredited veterinarian must use the most recent version of the HA 2186 export certificate.
17. In the column "AGE (MONTHS)(Estimated)," the actual age or an estimated age in months must be indicated. An entry such as "less than 12 months" is not acceptable.
18. The accredited veterinarian must complete the export health certificate by entering all the necessary information with the exception of the number of animals in the shipment and the seal numbers. The "Reference number" is assigned by the CFIA district office. The completed and signed health certificate and owner/exporter's declaration will be submitted to a CFIA veterinary inspector to review and, if all requirements are met, endorse. Any incomplete export certificates will be returned to the accredited veterinarian for completion. A fee is charged for CFIA endorsement. Once endorsed, certificates are returned to the accredited veterinarian, and the owner/exporter's declaration is kept at the district office with a copy of the certificate. The health certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of examination.
19. The accredited veterinarian or their technician must, on the day of export, return to the farm and apply CFIA seals to the transporting vehicles, after verifying that only the animals listed on the export certificate are included in the shipment. A CFIA seal must be applied to every door on the trailer.
20. The accredited veterinarian or their technician must record the number of animals in the shipment and the CFIA seal numbers in the appropriate sections on the endorsed original health certificate, and initial the appropriate section. It is not necessary to repeat this information on the copies of the certificate, but veterinarians must record it on the copy kept in their offices.
21. During loading, if animals must be removed from the shipment after the health certificate has been endorsed by the CFIA veterinary inspector, accredited veterinarians should not cross out any of these animals that are listed on the health certificate. In such cases the accredited veterinarian or their technician must provide two copies of an Addendum: one copy to accompany the shipment, and one to be included in the accredited veterinarian's file. Sample copies of an addendum are available in the district offices. This is not a CFIA document and does not bear the CFIA logo. It may be used as is or printed on the veterinary clinic's letterhead. The addendum must include a description of the animals that were not loaded and their CCIA or ATQ identification numbers.
22. If the seals are broken or missing, or if they do not match the seal numbers recorded on the health certificate, the shipment will be refused entry into the U.S.
23. For sheep, the official ear tag is a tag approved by the CFIA for use in the Canadian Sheep Identification Program or, in Quebec, the ATQ tag. All tags must be clean and readable. All numbers that appear on the ear tag must be recorded on the export certificate.
24. For goats, the official ear tag is a CFIA HofA tag, which must be applied to the left ear. Goats may only be exported in this manner if the accredited veterinarian knows the birth premises of each animal being shipped. While the birth premises does not have to be included on the export certificate, the veterinarian must keep a permanent record of the premises in case of inquiry by the USDA or audit. All tags must be clean and readable. All numbers that appear on the ear tag must be recorded on the export certificate.

Note: While it is not a USDA requirement that the ear tag numbers be listed in ascending numerical order on the certificate, accredited veterinarians are encouraged to complete certificates in this manner. This practice will facilitate inspection at the U.S. port of entry and minimize delays.
25. The routing of the shipment must be based on information provided by the exporter and must include the names of the main highways to be followed in Canada and the U.S. and the name of the location where the animals were loaded in Canada.
26. The official Canadian health certificate (HA 2186) endorsed by a CFIA veterinary inspector and two copies of the certificate must accompany each export shipment. A separate health certificate must be issued for each vehicle.

Note: Each truckload constitutes one shipment; therefore, a separate original health certificate must be issued for each vehicle.
27. Before arrival at the U.S. border, the seals cannot be broken by anyone other than a CFIA inspector or a person under the inspector's supervision. If the exporter asks to transfer animals from one truck to another after leaving the farm of origin, the transfer must be performed under the direct supervision of a CFIA inspector. The CFIA inspector will issue an official letter to confirm the change in the seal numbers. The CFIA will charge a fee for this service.

Inspections at U.S. Ports or Entry
28. The sheep and goats for feeding will be unloaded at the U.S. port of entry for individual inspection.
29. The animals must be presented at the U.S. port of entry by appointment. The shipment must be accompanied by U.S. Veterinary Services Form 17-29 (Declaration of Importation) and the official Canadian health certificate (HA 2186).
30. Refer to 5.1 Export to the U.S. - General for the list of land ports of entry designated as having the necessary inspection facilities for the entry of animals from Canada. Although the list was provided by the USDA, it is the exporters' responsibility to present their animals to a U.S. port of entry that has the facilities required for the unloading and inspection of such animals.
References

Link to export certificate HA 2186 and the Agent or Owner and/or Exporter's Declaration from the CFIA Web site.

A sample of the Addendum for Animals Not Included in the Shipment, which can be printed on your official letterhead, is available from your district veterinarian.

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