Expanded Nuclear Safeguards and Export Rules

Summary#

These final regulations, made by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and published in the Canada Gazette on October 8, 2025, change Canada’s rules on nuclear imports, exports and safeguards. They add new reporting and record-keeping rules for people who hold certain nuclear materials, update the list of controlled items for trade, add some low‑risk exemptions, and set new recordkeeping and licensing information requirements.

What it does#

• Changes to the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations

  • Anyone who possesses uranium, plutonium‑239 or thorium must now:
    • file an annual inventory report with the CNSC; and
    • report any inventory change (shipments, receipts, losses, etc.) to the CNSC within one business day.
  • People doing nuclear fuel‑cycle research or certain nuclear manufacturing must file an annual report about the activities and their locations.
  • Those required to report must keep supporting records and must agree to verification inspections by the CNSC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
  • The rule that licensees must present a physical CNSC licence to a customs officer when importing or exporting protected technical information is removed (a licence is still required to move that information).

• Changes to the Nuclear Non‑proliferation Import and Export Control Regulations

  • The list of controlled nuclear substances, equipment and information is updated to match recent international control lists (Zangger Committee / Nuclear Suppliers Group).
  • New, limited licence exemptions are added for very low‑risk items (examples in the regulations include certain small tritium devices and small shipments of nuclear‑grade graphite).
  • Licence applications must include extra contact and identification details (for example, a Canada Revenue Agency business number where applicable), an email address, and a written description of the applicant’s import/export process.
  • Import/export related records (licences, customs declarations, shipping documents, purchase orders, certificates of manufacture and notifications) must be kept for six years after the licence expires.
  • The schedule of controlled items is extensively revised and clarified (many specific technical items and thresholds are added or updated).

• Enforcement and penalties

  • The Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission) are updated to add penalties for failures to report, to retain records, or to allow verification, tied to the new requirements.

• Timing (how the changes take effect)

  • The regulations were registered on September 26, 2025.
  • Some provisions (notably the new licence exemptions) come into force on registration.
  • Many of the safeguards and schedule updates come into force on the 180th day after registration.
  • Certain licensing and record‑retention rules come into force on the first anniversary of registration.

Who's affected#

• Small holders and researchers: people or small organizations that possess small amounts of nuclear material (uranium, plutonium‑239, thorium) or who do nuclear fuel‑cycle research or make nuclear‑related products. Some of these groups were not previously covered by CNSC rules.
• Nuclear industry and licensees: power reactors, uranium mines and mills, research reactors, manufacturers and other existing CNSC licence holders (many already meet similar requirements, but some will see new paperwork or clarified rules).
• Importers and exporters of nuclear substances, equipment or technical information — including businesses that trade in small, low‑risk items that may now be exempt.
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and other government bodies involved at the border, who will use clearer licence identifiers and record rules.
• The IAEA, because the amendments expand Canada’s domestic reporting and access for international safeguards verification.

If it’s unclear whether you are affected (for example, a small lab with trace amounts of uranium in samples), the regulations and accompanying guidance are the place to check; the CNSC also planned outreach and guidance to help people understand obligations.

Why it matters#

• Fulfilling international obligations: the changes bring Canada’s rules into closer alignment with international non‑proliferation and safeguards standards and make Canada’s reporting to the IAEA more complete.
• More transparency and inspections: people who hold small amounts of nuclear material or who do specified nuclear research or manufacturing will now have to report and may face verification visits. That increases official visibility over where nuclear material and related activities are located.
• Trade clarity and fewer unnecessary controls: updating the export/import control list and adding low‑risk exemptions should reduce needless paperwork and costs for some exporters and importers.
• New paperwork and record rules: affected parties should expect extra reporting, retain records for longer (six years for import/export records; five years after reporting in some cases), and include more identifying information on licence applications. There are new monetary penalties for failures to comply.
• Practical next steps: affected businesses and labs should review the updated rules, prepare the required reports and records, and watch for CNSC guidance and outreach to understand how the new requirements apply to them.