CCOF operations that export to Canada will be required to provide digital copies of their organic certificates to their Canadian importer to upload in the Canadian import system. Exporters should share the following certificates with their importer:
- USDA NOP organic certificate (showing your organic certification)
- Global Market Access (GMA) certificate (showing the required attestation statement “Certified in accordance with the terms of the U.S.-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement”), and
- Client Profile (showing the specific products verified as compliant to the terms of the equivalence arrangement).
Starting May 26, 2025, Canadian importers must include digital copies of these organic certificates as part of their Integrated Import Declaration (IID), also referred to as the CBSA Single Window. The CBSA will give each uploaded organic product certificate a Unique Reference Number (URN). Importers can use this URN when completing declarations, allowing them to use the same URN for multiple shipments. Declarations may include multiple URNs as required.
Please note that once this measure comes into effect, failure to upload a copy of the organic product certificate or a URN (where the certificate was already provided in a previous declaration) will result in rejection until the organic product certificate digital copy or URN is provided.
If you import products into Canada, you need to understand the newly added organic products in AIRS and ensure you follow all requirements. For more information, please see COR Import Requirements.
If you export to Canada, you’ll need to enroll in the CCOF Global Market Access program to have your products verified as compliant to the terms of the US-Canada equivalence arrangement and receive the required certifier attestation statement. To enroll, please review the GMA Manual and complete the GMA Application. Completed applications can be submitted to inbox@ccof.org. For more information, visit our Canada website.