Tips to Avoid Delays of International Pathogen or Toxin Shipments

Thanks to the Canada Border Services Agency’s Single Window Initiative, you can benefit from the timely movement of pathogens across the border. At this time, there may additional delays due to the recent changes at the U.S.-Canada border related to COVID-19. It is important to follow the proper procedures to keep your shipments moving. By providing your licence number in the description or to your broker, your shipment can pre-clear customs.

Only parties with a valid pathogen and toxin licence can import regulated material. During border importation monitoring, the Public Health Agency of Canada encounters many scenarios of possible non-compliance, such as:

• organizations attempting to import regulated materials without a valid pathogen and toxin licence
• organizations attempting to import material with a vague description (i.e., listed only as “bacteria”, “bacteria stabs”, “viruses”, or “toxin”)
• organizations attempting to import regulated material to an address that is not listed on their licence

It is important that you provide your licence number, or even better, a copy of your licence, with a detailed description of the material you wish to import. You should specify the quantity, whether the material is active/inactive, purified, or contained in a human/animal sample. An example of an appropriate description would be: 3 lyophilized tubes containing live Staphylococcus aureus, Licence # L-R2-12345-20-AA-00. You should also include the delivery address for the shipment. This must be the same address listed on your licence.

If you are importing prescribed Security Sensitive Biological Agent toxins, it is especially important to specify the quantity of the toxin, to ensure that your shipment does not get detained by the Canada Border Services Agency.

For further information, please contact the Licensing Program by email at licence.permis@phac-aspc.gc.ca or by phone 613-957-1779.