Fact sheet on the requirements for the commercial importation of pest control products

The purpose of this document is to provide information on the requirements for importing pest control products, which include products for sale, manufacturing use and research.

All pesticides imported into Canada must meet Canadian standards, i.e., be registered or scheduled or authorized under the Pest Control Products Act and bear the Canadian label.

1. The Pest Control Products Act defines pest control products as "any product, device, organism, substance or thing that is manufactured, represented, sold or used as a means for directly or indirectly controlling, preventing, destroying, mitigating, attracting or repelling any pest, and includes:
   1. any compound or substance that enhances or modifies or is intended to enhance or modify the physical or chemical characteristics of a control product to which it is added, and
   2. any active ingredient used for the manufacture of a control product."
2. A pest control product can be a chemical, a device or a microorganism.
3. Chemical pest control products include:
   1. fungicides
   2. insecticides
   3. rodenticides
   4. pool chemicals
   5. insect repellent
   6. insect repellents
   7. animal repellents
   8. ear tags for cattle
   9. wood preservatives
   10. flea and tick powders
   11. herbicides anti-fouling paints
4. Pest control devices include:
   1. UV and ozone emitting devices
   2. ultrasonic and electronic repellers
   3. swimming pool algicide and bactericide devices
5. Microbial pest control products are products consisting of microorganisms.
   

   A microorganism is any organism too small to be visible to the naked eye, and includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, mycoplasma or rickettsia that are represented for or used in controlling pests.

   Note: Microorganisms that are not represented as pest control products are not subject to the requirements of the Pest Control Products Act but may be subject to other importation requirements for microbes and microorganisms covered under other federal acts.

Shipment declaration by the importer

Imported goods will be released by Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) only when documentation requirements have been met.

There is no specific importation declaration form for pest control products. Standard CBSA documentation must be presented for shipment clearance. The information listed in section 36(1) of the Pest Control Products Regulations must be provided in your general declaration. This includes importer and exporter details, product details (name, active ingredient, quantity) and the purpose of import.

Contact the CBSA for more guidance on presenting your declaration and on the Single Window Initiative.

For general information on pest control products importation requirements, contact the Health Canada Pesticide Compliance Program.