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New U.S. import requirements for fresh tomatoes

June 3, 2010  By Fruit & Vegetable


June 3, 2010 – The United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently advised the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) that all shipments of tomatoes from Canada to the U.S.
must be accompanied by an industry-issued Certificate of Origin commencing June
14, 2010.



June 3, 2010 – The United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
has recently advised the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA)
that all shipments of tomatoes from Canada to the U.S.
must be accompanied by an industry-issued Certificate of Origin commencing June
14, 2010.

This new measure is being
put in place to ensure that only shipments of tomatoes that meet U.S.
requirements are exported to the U.S. This requirement will strengthen the
obligation of Canadian exporters to declare the origin of the material exported
and re-exported. This new measure is primarily a result of the implementation
of updated requirements for the importation of tomatoes from countries infested
with the tomato leafminer, by the U.S. on May 13.

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Under this new
requirement, tomatoes that were grown in Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic and
the U.S. will be permitted to continue to be exported/re-exported to the U.S.,
provided they are accompanied by the industry-issued Certificate of Origin for
Fresh Tomatoes confirming the country of production. Tomatoes grown in any
other country may not be shipped to the U.S. as a re-export via Canada.

All produce exported from
Canada must meet the phytosanitary import requirements of the importing
country, in this case the U.S. The exporter should keep copies of all their
Certificates of Origin and associated documentation (e.g., invoices, packing
slips, etc.) for verification purposes. In addition, the USDA will enforce
their regulations for any shipments whose country of origin is incorrectly
declared at the border.

The Certificate of Origin
for Fresh Tomatoes is similar to the Certificate of Origin for peppers.
Exporter must provide the two different certificates if the shipment includes
both peppers and tomatoes.

The certificate will be
available through local CFIA offices. The CFIA will be publishing an industry
bulletin shortly.

For more information,
contact Rob Ormrod (Rob.ormrod@inspection.gc.ca).


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