CFIA fees: fertilizers and emergency animal transit

Summary#

This item updates the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Fees Notice to match recent changes in two rule sets. It clarifies when fertilizer product registrations need changes and says some import/export fees won’t apply when animals are moved through Canada during an emergency.

What it does#

• Updates the wording and fee table for fertilizers in Part 5 so the fee rules match the revised Fertilizers Regulations. The change:

  • Keeps the same fee amounts but reorganizes which label or product changes trigger a paid registration amendment.
  • Introduces “minor” and “major” amendment categories and removes some items that no longer require an amendment.
  • Key fee examples (unchanged in amount):
    • Application for registration: $364.12 → $376.50
    • Re-registration: $260.09 → $268.93
    • Minor amendment: $52.02 → $53.79
    • Major amendment: $364.12 → $376.50
    • Safety assessment (when needed): $520.18 → $537.87
    • Maximum fee payable: $1,040.36 → $1,075.73
  • The Fertilizers Regulations were updated on October 26, 2020; these Fee Notice wording changes simply align the notice with that update.

• Replaces parts of Part 11 (Health of Animals Fees) to add definitions and an explicit exception so fees in that part do not apply when regulated animals are transiting through Canada or the United States during an emergency covered by sections 17 and 69.1 of the Health of Animals Regulations.

  • Adds a payment rule for one quarantine-related fee (item 20): a 10% deposit based on the minimum quarantine days is paid up front, with the balance due before release.
  • These changes reflect the emergency transit policy developed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the HAR amendments made on June 9, 2021.

Who's affected#

• Businesses that make, import, sell or label fertilizers — manufacturers, formulators and registrants — will see clearer rules about when they must pay to amend registrations.
• Farmers, distributors and retailers who deal with registered fertilizers may notice fewer administrative fees or fewer mandatory registration updates.
• Owners, transporters and managers of regulated animals (including livestock and animals moved in emergencies), and organizations that operate quarantine stations or private quarantine facilities.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency itself will have less administrative work in emergency animal-movement cases.
• If it’s unclear whether a specific action still needs a registration amendment under the updated wording, stakeholders should check guidance or ask the CFIA.

Why it matters#

• For fertilizer businesses, the changes reduce unnecessary paperwork and fees by limiting when a product registration must be amended. That can save time and money for companies and speed up small label or formatting changes.
• For animal owners and emergency responders, exempting certain import/export fees during emergency transit makes it faster and simpler to move animals across the Canada–U.S. border in disasters (for example, the policy was used during the 2021 British Columbia floods).
• The updates do not raise fee amounts; they mainly remove confusion and align fee rules with existing regulations so governments and businesses handle registrations and emergency movements more smoothly.