Shipping to Canada About

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) counterpart. Their requirements, as specified in CFIA D-02-12, govern the importation of wood and wood products into Canada and hence the requirements with which I must comply as a re-exporter of Australian burls and hardwoods to Canada. In my experience since the implementation of D-02-12 Revision 6, I found customs personnel, border inspection agents and CFIA personnel themselves to be unaware of the applicable requirements for the required treatment and customs clearance of Australian burls and hardwoods into Canada . Prior to the latest revision effective 31 August 2017, CFIA D-02-12 Revision 6 set forth requirements in Section 2.1.1 permitting re-export of Australian burls and hardwoods treated in accordance with Appendix 1 under a Fumigation Certificate (less than 30 days old and performed by a USDA certified facility). When wrongly challenged on the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate, citing CFIA requirements as delineated in Section 2.1.1, all re-exports promptly cleared customs.

On 31 August 2017, CFIA D-02-12 Revision 7 went into effect with additional requirements for export. The specific language in Revision 6 Section 2.1.1 specifying that "a Fumigation Certificate, in lieu of a Phytosanitary Certificate, will be accepted from facilities recognized by the USDA-APHIS" has been removed and Photosanitary Inspection and Certificate mandated. Though specifically not mandated by USDA, CFIA now requires any products I ship to be certified for re-export. Non-tropical wood products must now be either heat treated or less than 200 mm (almost 8") thickness and fumigated - as has always had performed - with methyl bromide per Appendix 1. Translated, shipment of wood products to Canada requires not only treatment performed by a USDA-certified facility (as was the case under Revision 6), but an inspection by an APHIS Accredited Certification Official (ACO) certifying (via Phytosanitary Certificate) readiness for export. The bottom line is additional time and cost for me to export and you to import.

Two of 3 approved Fumigation Facilities in Virginia have had their onsite fumigation operations effectively shutdown. The facility I used through 2016 was a 50 mile roundtrip when delivering burls/hardwoods and then again when picking up following fumigation. The only approved facility available in 2017 is a 150 mile roundtrip (twice). About 5 days prior to treatment, I must submit a PPQ 572 via APHIS to USDA requesting an ACO perform a Phytosanitary inspection of any shipment to Canada at the Fumigation Facility. The cost of the inspection and Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) is approximately $63 USD (less than $1200 USD shipment value) or $106 USD (greater than $1200 USD shipment value). The approximate cost of fumigation is $250 USD (1 crate). Though I do not charge a fee for the time involved in delivery or pickup, there will be a fuel charge of $40 USD. For large shipments requiring a custom crate, I will bill my cost of construction material (plywood, 2 x 4s, 1 x 4s) from Home Depot.