Notice: Validation of Plant Protection Import Permits Prior to Import

To: All Importers of Items Regulated under the Plant Protection Act and Regulations

Subject: The Validation of Plant Protection Import Permits Prior to Import

Effective Date: March 31, 2011

Some commodities regulated under the Plant Protection Act require that the importer possess a valid Plant Protection Import Permit issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) prior to the commodity being exported from their country of origin.

As of March 31, 2011, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) will reject any transaction that requires a Plant Protection Import Permit unless the permit number entered is valid and is in the proper format. The proper format is "P-nnnn-nnnnn", where "n" represents a number. In EDI, the Plant Protection Import Permit number is referred to as a "Registration Number".

EDI will return the following messages for invalid permit numbers:

• Invalid Format = CFIA-INVALID REGISTRATION NUMBER Import permit NUMBER format must be P-nnnn-nnnnn
• Invalid Permit Number = CFIA-INVALID REGISTRATION NUMBER Import permit NUMBER NOT valid
• Invalid Permit = CFIA-INVALID REGISTRATION NUMBER Import permit NOT valid

If a transaction is rejected for any of these reasons, the related shipment(s) will not be allowed entry into Canada.

Further information on import requirements for commodities, including whether or not their importation requires a Plant Protection Import Permit, is available on the CFIA website at the following addresses:

Automated Import Reference System

Plant Protection Policy Directives

Information on how importers may apply for a Plant Protection Import Permit is also available on the CFIA web site at the following address:

D-97-04: Application, procedures, issuance and use of a Permit to Import under the Plant Protection Act.

Original signed by:

Greg Stubbings
Office of the Chief Plant Health Officer
Plant Health and Biosecurity
Canadian Food Inspection Agency