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Successfully navigating the Canadian market requires a clear understanding of its unique regulatory landscape. For businesses and individuals, the process to import natural supplements into Canada involves specific steps to ensure safety and compliance. This guide outlines the key requirements of the natural supplements import process in Canada, helping you avoid common pitfalls and achieve a smooth market entry.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
1. What Are Natural Supplements in Canada?
Successfully navigating the Canadian market requires a clear understanding of its unique regulatory landscape. For businesses and individuals, the process to import natural supplements into Canada, therefore, involves specific steps to ensure safety and compliance. This guide, as a result, outlines the key requirements of the natural supplements import process in Canada, helping you avoid common pitfalls and achieve a smooth market entry.
2. Understanding Canada’s Import Regulations
Importing NHPs into Canada is governed by a strict framework designed to protect consumers. Two main areas of regulation are critical to understand.
a. Health Canada Guidelines
Health Canada is the federal authority responsible for assessing all NHPs before they are sold in Canada. In other words, this pre-market review ensures that the products meet stringent safety and quality standards. Companies involved in any part of the supply chain, consequently, must adhere to these regulations. Recent regulatory updates are making compliance more important than ever for a smooth import process.
b. Customs and Border Duties
When importing commercial goods, for example, you will need a Business Number and an import/export account from the Canada Revenue Agency. In addition, your products must have the correct tariff classification to determine any applicable duties and taxes.
3. Steps to Import Natural Supplements into Canada
The natural supplements import process in Canada requires a strategic and documented approach.
a. Product Licensing (Natural Product Number – NPN)
Before any NHP can be sold, it must first be approved by Health Canada and issued a Product License. This license, similarly, comes with an eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM), which must appear on the product’s label. This number, in fact, confirms that the product has been reviewed for safety and efficacy.
b. Site Licensing
The Natural Health Products Regulations require any Canadian site where natural health products are manufactured, packaged, labeled, or imported for sale to have a valid Site License. A 3PL with a Site License, therefore, acts as the Importer of Record for foreign-manufactured products. For instance, InterFulfillment holds the necessary Site License certification to ensure your products are stored and handled correctly in Canada. This license, consequently, demonstrates that the facility complies with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for handling these sensitive products.
c. Importation Rules
For commercial importation, you must use a licensed customs broker or an in-house expert to transact business with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The shipment, in addition, must be accompanied by documentation that demonstrates compliance with Canadian laws, including the NPN on the product labels and evidence that the foreign manufacturing site is listed on the Canadian importer’s Site License.
4. Choosing the Right Supplier
Your choice of partner, moreover, is crucial for a smooth import process. A reliable supplier, as a result, will provide all necessary documentation to support your product’s license application. It is vital to confirm that your foreign manufacturer, packager, and labeler can provide evidence of compliance with Canadian GMPs. We also, furthermore, highly recommend consulting with regulatory experts like Dell Tech to ensure you are fully compliant with all Canadian product regulations from the outset.
5. FAQs
To legally sell an NHP, both a Product License (with an NPN) for the product itself and a Site License for the importer’s facility are essential for the natural supplements import process in Canada.
For commercial sales, no. Your products must have an NPN, and you must use a Canadian 3PL with a valid Site License. Failing to follow this rule can result in your products being held or seized at the border.
An Importer of Record, who must hold a Health Canada Site License, is a company that takes on the responsibility of importing and distributing foreign-manufactured NHPs for sale in Canada.
A qualified 3PL like InterFulfillment acts as your Importer of Record. It has the necessary Site License and GMP facilities to ensure your products are stored and handled correctly. This streamlines the entire natural supplements import process in Canada.
