Canada Strengthens Import Requirements for Plant Feed Ingredients from Taiwan Due to ASF Risk
Canada is implementing stricter rules for the import of plant feed ingredients from Taiwan to prevent the entry of African Swine Fever (ASF) into its territory. Starting from November 3, importers must comply with new requirements set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
This is reported by AgroReview
Taiwan Among Countries Under Special Control
Taiwan has been added to the list of countries for which Canada does not recognize the policy of regionalization. This means that if even one case of ASF is detected in Taiwan, the entire country will automatically be considered infected. This list already includes over 60 countries, including those in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, parts of Eastern Europe, as well as China and Russia.
In recent years, the Canadian government and relevant organizations have been actively working to prevent the entry of ASF, which has already caused significant losses in the pig farming industry in Asia and inflicted substantial economic damage.
New Requirements for Importers from Taiwan
Importers of plant feed ingredients from Taiwan are required to submit an expanded set of documents. Among the mandatory requirements are:
- clear indication of the country of origin of the ingredients in the import application;
- submission of a completed CFIA questionnaire for the production facility.
“The purpose of this questionnaire is to ensure that businesses can demonstrate they have implemented effective measures to minimize the risk of ASF virus transmission through feed.”
Risk mitigation measures may include thermal processing of products before delivery to Canada, or the use of additional disinfection methods after arrival.
CFIA emphasizes that zoning is used to reduce trade restrictions only in areas where there are no disease cases. In the event of an ASF outbreak in Canada, this concept will be the first step towards localizing the virus and limiting economic losses.