CBSA Is Not The Only Government Department
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CBSA Is Not The Only Government Department

Other Government Departments (OGD)

Other government departments (OGD) are all government agencies that regulate imports and exports into Canada in conjunction with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). A full list of Other Government Departments & Agencies can be found here.

In order for CBSA to process a customs release on regulated commodities, they must be reviewed by the appropriate department first. Examples of these departments are the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Natural Resource Canada (NRCan), Health Canada, and Trans Canada which regulate items such as food products, plants, appliances, vehicles, health products, prescription drugs, cosmetics, and chemicals.*

In these cases, your declaration will require specific information regarding the commodity in order to satisfy both the OGD and CBSA requirements. Regardless if an import has been approved through the OGD, CBSA still holds the right of the ultimate decision on whether or not a release will be granted. When your Customs Broker asks for highly detailed information, they are doing so to ensure the commodities that you are importing are entered into Canada in compliance with all Government Departments and Canadian Acts and Regulations.

*This list of OGD and regulated commodities is an example and is not to be considered all inclusive.

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About the Author
Gloria Terhaar
CCS (CA/US), CTCS, LCB

Gloria Terhaar began her customs brokerage career in 2002 and soon after joined PCB Global Trade Management. Since her start date in 2007, Gloria Terhaar has forged an impeccable reputation working progressively from an operations role to her current responsibilities as Trade Compliance Supervisor and a Regulatory Analyst. In these roles her in-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements relating to imports into Canada ensures that our company’s practices are developed and updated to operate within government regulations. She is a dependable, approachable problem-solver and critical thinker with the resilience to tackle and handle many job responsibilities in an agile manner. Gloria enjoys educating others about Importing and has spoken at talks for MNP, the Surrey Board of Trade, TFO Canada, the BC Produce Marketing Association and various importers. She also represents PCB on the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Government Issue Management Committee and participates in annual advocacy events, where she advocates to Government officials for the Canadian produce industry. Recently, she was also accepted to participate on the CSCB task force related to the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) initiative. Gloria's passion for customs brokerage is shown in her commitment to educating trade chain partners about the industry and keeping abreast of the ever changing landscape of Acts, Regulations and policies that affect trade.

While we strive for accuracy in all our communications, as the Importer of Record it is incumbent upon your company to ensure that you are aware of the requirements under the new regulations so that you maintain compliance as always.