Notice to Importers

Items 162 to 181 - Wheat Products

Serial No. 902
Date: September 15, 2017

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Purpose
• 2.0 Coverage
• 3.0 Duration
• 4.0 Authority
• 5.0 Permit issuance
• 6.0 Contact Us

1.0 Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this Notice is to advise importers that the wheat products tariff rate quota (TRQ) will be filled on October 13, 2017. Consequently, October 13, 2017 (at 11:59 p.m. local time) will be the cut-off date for accounting for imports of all wheat products classified under a “within access commitment” tariff item number.

1.2 All imports of wheat products accounted for after the cut-off date and time will be classified at the “over access commitment” tariff item number, even if they were imported (or imported and released) before the quota has been filled.

2.0 Coverage

2.1 This Notice is an adjunct to Notice to Importers No. 791 dated August 9, 2011.  It refers to Items 162 to 181 of the Import Control List; namely wheat products falling under heading numbers 11.01, 11.03, 11.04, 11.08, 11.09, 19.01, 19.02, 19.04, 19.05 and 23.02 in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff.

2.2 Importers who require a determination as to whether the product they intend to import is eligible under the wheat products TRQ are encouraged to obtain an advanced tariff classification ruling from the appropriate regional client service office of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). 

3.0 Duration

3.1 This Notice will remain in effect until July 31, 2018.

4.0 Authority

4.1 Under TRQs, imports are subject to low “within access commitment” rates of duty up to a predetermined limit (i.e. until the import access level has been reached), while imports over that limit are subject to significantly higher “over access commitment” rates of duty.  Pursuant to subsection 6.2(1) of the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA), the Minister responsible for the Act may determine an import access quantity allowed entry at the low rate of duty.  Paragraph 8.3(2)(b) authorizes the Minister to establish a General Import Permit (GIP) that may be invoked freely by those complying with its conditions.

4.2 General Import Permit No. 20 – Wheat and Wheat Products and Barley and Barley Products (GIP No. 20) was established in 1995 to allow imports on a first-come first-served basis at the applicable “within access commitment” rate of duty, until the TRQ level has been reached.

4.3 Section 5.(1) of GIP No. 20 states that the GIP applies only to goods that are imported on or before the day, set out in a Notice, to be issued by the Minister, on which, in the opinion of the Minister, the import access quantity for the period concerned, determined in accordance with subsection 6.2(1) of the EIPA in respect of those goods, will have been filled.  The “period concerned” as used in this section means a period of 12 months beginning on August 1 and ending July 31 of the following year.

5.0 Permit issuance

5.1 Once the wheat products TRQ level is reached, GIP No. 20 will be suspended in respect to the relevant goods until July 31, 2018, and General Import Permit No. 100 – Eligible Agricultural Goods (GIP No. 100) will cover, for the balance of the 2017-18 marketing year, unlimited imports classified under the “over access commitment”  tariff  item number.  Therefore, as of 11:59 p.m. local time on October 13, 2017, importers of wheat products may no longer invoke GIP No. 20 when importing such goods. Imports of Mexican, Costa Rican, Chilean, Peruvian or U.S. wheat products will continue to be subject to the same rates of duty under the Mexican Tariff, the Costa Rican Tariff, the Chilean Tariff, the Peruvian Tariff, or the United States Tariff once the TRQ level is reached as before the TRQ was filled.

5.2 Where goods imported under the authority of GIP No. 100 are required to be reported in the prescribed form under the Customs Act, that form shall contain the statement “Imported Under the Authority of General Import Permit No. 100 - Eligible Agricultural Goods”.

6.0 Contact Us

6.1 Names and direct phone numbers for quota manager(s), permit officer(s) and the Help Desk are available on the Global Affairs Canada website: Contact Us