Notice to Exporters – Fish and Seafood:  Administration of the Origin Quotas Established in the Canada – European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

Serial No. 209
Date: September 1, 2017

In Brief:

Under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union (EU) and its Member States, the EU agreed to establish origin quotas for imports of fish and seafood from Canada.

The origin quota year extends from January 1 to December 31, inclusive.

For 2017 only, the origin quota year extends from September 21, 2017 to December 31, 2017 inclusive.

Exports of fish and seafood products from Canada to the European Union (EU) are not subject to export controls under Canada’s Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA).  Accordingly, export permits are not required for shipments of these fish and seafood products to the EU in order to obtain the preferential tariff under CETA.

Table of Contents

1.0 General Information

1.1 Under CETA origin quotas, certain products that do not satisfy the product-specific rules of origin under may qualify as originating under alternative product-specific rules of origin as specified in ).

1.2 The origin quotas specify the quantity of a product(s) that can qualify as originating for the purposes of the origin quota and receive preferential CETA tariff treatment. In order to receive this treatment the product must meet the product description and undergo sufficient production to satisfy the applicable product-specific rule of origin associated with that origin quota.

1.3 The EU publishes quota utilization rates on its website.

2.0 Access Level

2.1 The annual origin quotas for fish and seafood products covered by this Notice are:

  1. Frozen fillets of halibut, other than Reinhardtius hippoglossoides – 10 metric tonnes, net weight;
  2. Cooked and frozen lobster – 2,000 metric tonnes, net weight;
  3. Prepared or preserved salmon – 3,000 metric tonnes, net weight;
  4. Prepared or preserved herring – 50 metric tonnes, net weight;
  5. Prepared or preserved sardines, sardinella and brisling or sprats, excluding Sardina pilchardus – 200 metric tonnes, net weight;
  6. Prepared or preserved crab, other than Cancer pagurus – 44 metric tonnes, net weight;
  7. Prepared or preserved shrimps and prawns – 5,000 metric tonnes, net weight; and
  8. Prepared and preserved lobster – 240 metric tonnes, net weight.

2.2 Exceptionally, for 2017, the origin quota access levels for these products are pro-rated to the period of September 21 to December 31, 2017 as follows:

  1. Frozen fillets of halibut, other than Reinhardtius hippoglossoides – 2.8 metric tonnes, net weight;
  2. Cooked and frozen lobster – 559 metric tonnes, net weight;
  3. Prepared or preserved salmon –838 metric tonnes, net weight;
  4. Prepared or preserved herring – 14 metric tonnes, net weight;
  5. Prepared or preserved sardines, sardinella and brisling or sprats, excluding Sardina pilchardus – 56 metric tonnes, net weight;
  6. Prepared or preserved crab, other than Cancer pagurus – 12 metric tonnes, net weight;
  7. Prepared or preserved shrimps and prawns – 1,397 metric tonnes, net weight; and
  8. Prepared and preserved lobster – 67 metric tonnes, net weight.

2.3 CETA contains growth factors for the fish and seafood origin quotas under which the volume of an origin quota will increase if certain conditions are met. The growth factors are outlined at the end of Table B.1 in .

3.0 Accessing CETA Origin Quotas for Fish and Seafood Products

3.1 As outlined in paragraph 3 of , the EU administers access to origin quotas on a first-come, first-served basis.

3.2 In accordance with the CETA Protocol on rules of origin and origin procedures, the exporter of the product is required to provide an to the importer.

3.3 In order for the exporter to identify origin quota exports to the EU and to inform the importer of the application of Annex 5-A, the exporter is to include a reference to Annex 5-A on the commercial invoice or other commercial document. In accordance with paragraph 4 of , the Parties shall not count any products against the annual origin quota without such reference.

3.4 A catch certificate for wild caught product is required under the EU Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing Regulation (Annex II and IV). This requirement is not affected by the CETA agreement or usage of these origin quotas. For more information visit the ’s website.