United States - Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (USCOEA)
Read our blog for more information on the USCOEA.
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Requirements for Canadian Exports | Requirements for Imports to Canada |
| Products included:
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Live or unprocessed agricultural products, vegetative propagating material (e.g. tubers, bulbs) and seeds for cultivation, processed agricultural products for use as food, and feed certified as organic in accordance with the Canadian Organic Regime (COR) are considered equivalent in the US. | Agricultural products for use as vegetative propagating material, food and feed produced, processed and certified as organic in accordance with the USDA NOP are considered equivalent in Canada. |
| Products outside the scope:
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The USCOEA contains critical variances. Any animal or edible products derived from any animal treated with antibiotics are considered outside of the scope of this arrangement.
In addition, the range of products which can be certified under the COR is narrower than that permitted under the NOP. Textiles or clothing, skin care or pet food are not certified under the COR. |
The USCOEA contains critical variances. The following products are outside of the scope of this arrangement:
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| Country of origin:
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Organic products may originate from any country in the world, so long as they are certified to the COR or NOP. | Organic products may originate from any country in the world, so long as they are certified to the COR or NOP. |
| Labelling requirements:
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These products may bear either/both the USDA organic label and the Canada Organic logo. All products must comply with USDA organic labelling regulations. | These products may bear either/both the USDA organic label and the Canada Organic logo. All products must meet Canadian organic labelling requirements. |
| Required paperwork: | Products must be accompanied by a valid organic certificate issued by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) accredited certifying body (CB) that includes an attestation statement. | US products must be accompanied by an organic certificate issued by a US accredited certifying agent and an attestation statement. |
European Union - Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (EUCOEA)
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Requirements for Canadian Exports | Requirements for Imports to Canada |
| Products included:
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The following products certified according to the COR by a CFIA accredited CB are deemed equivalent in the EU: unprocessed plant products; live animals or unprocessed animal products; processed agricultural product for use as food; processed agricultural products for use as feed; and vegetative propagating material (e.g. tubers, bulbs), and seeds for cultivation. The recognition of equivalence also applies to organic wine. | Agricultural products, including wine, which are produced and processed in the EU, certified in conformity by an EU control authority, and accompanied by a certificate issued by an EU control authority, are deemed equivalent to those products that have been produced and processed in accordance with the Canadian Organic Products Regulations, 2009.
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| Country of origin:
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Unprocessed plant products, live animals or unprocessed animal products and vegetative propagating material and seeds for cultivation have to be grown in Canada. Processed agricultural products for use as food and processed agricultural products for use as feed have to be processed in Canada with organically grown ingredients grown in Canada or imported into Canada in accordance with the Organic Products Regulations, 2009. | Product must have been grown in the EU. Ingredients of processed products must be produced in the EU or imported into the EU in accordance with Article 33 of Council Recognition.
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| Labelling requirements:
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Organic products may bear the EU logo. All organic products imported into the EU must meet the EU labelling requirements. | These products can display the Canadian organic logo as well as the EU organic logo. The Canada Organic logo must be requested from the control bodies responsible for certification. |
| Required paperwork: | Canadian organic products exported to the EU under the EUCOEA must be accompanied by a "Certificate of Inspection for Import of products from Organic production into the European Community". The CB must prepare, sign and stamp this certification. | Organic products exported to Canada must be accompanied by an organic certificate issued by an EU control body. |
Switzerland - Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (SCOEA)
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Requirements for Canadian Exports | Requirements for Imports to Canada |
| Products included:
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The following products certified according to the COR by a CFIA accredited certification body are accepted as organic in Switzerland: live or unprocessed agricultural products and vegetative propagating material (e.g. tubers, bulbs), and seed for cultivation; and processed agricultural products, including wine, for use as food or feed. | The agricultural products of plant and/or animal origin which are produced and processed under an organic certification system that provides safeguards and guidelines governing the production and processing of such products are recognized as equivalent in Canada. |
| Country of origin:
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The live or unprocessed agricultural products must be grown in Canada. Processed products must be processed in Canada with organically grown ingredients grown in Canada or imported into Canada | The products must be produced and processed in Switzerland.
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| Labelling requirements:
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Products under this arrangement may bear the Canada Organic Logo and/or any logo recognized by the Swiss Federal Office. In order to simplify the flow of goods of organic products between the EU and Switzerland, the same labelling requirements as in the EU apply. | Products may bear the Canada Organic Logo. Organic products imported into Canada must meet Canadian labelling requirements.
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| Required paperwork: | Canadian products must be accompanied by a “Certificate of Inspection for Import of Products from Organic Production” as per Article 24 of the Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance. Similar to the EU, the CB must prepare, sign and stamp this certification. | Organic products must be accompanied by an organic certificate issued by a Swiss Certification/Inspection Body. |
Japan - Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (JCOEA)
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Requirements for Canadian Exports | Requirements for Imports to Canada |
| Products included:
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Plants, including fungi, and processed foods of plant origin (for food and beverages only) certified organic according to the COR are considered equivalent. | All JAS certified organic plants, including fungi and plant-based processed products (for food and beverages only) that have been produced in Japan or whose final processing or packaging occurs within Japan and are certified by a Japanese Registered Certification Body are considered equivalent in Canada. |
| Products outside the scope:
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Animal products and animal based products may not be certified as JAS equivalent. These products can be exported to Japan as COR certified, but cannot use the JAS seal. | Animal products and animal based products (e.g. meat, dairy and honey) are not covered by the JCOEA. Japanese products that are not covered can be imported and sold in Canada as organic as long as they are certified to the COR by a CFIA accredited CB. |
| Country of origin:
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The arrangement is limited to organic products of Canadian origin. This includes products whose final processing or packaging occurs within Canada. | The arrangement is limited to organic products of Japanese origin. This includes products whose final processing or packaging occurs within Japan. |
| Labelling requirements:
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Products considered equivalent must bear the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) seal to be sold in Japan. Products may also use the Canada organic logo in compliance with the OPR, 2009. | All Japanese organic products covered under this arrangement imported into Canada must meet Canadian labelling requirements and may bear the Canada Organic Logo. |
| Required paperwork: | Canadian exporters must have a contract with a JAS-certified importer to apply the JAS logo to their products for sale in either Japan or Canada. Products exported to Japan must be accompanied by a valid organic certificate issued by a CFIA accredited CB. | Japanese organic products must be accompanied by an organic certificate issued by a Japanese registered certification body. |
Costa Rica - Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (CRCOEA)
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Requirements for Canadian Exports | Requirements for Imports to Canada |
| Products included:
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Canadian organic agricultural products which are produced and certified in Canada in conformity with the OPR, 2009 and certified by a CFIA accredited CB under the COR are deemed equivalent to Costa Rica’s national law governing the organic agriculture regime. | Agricultural products of plant origin which are produced and processed in Costa Rica in conformity with the National Organic Production Regulations of Costa Rica and are produced and processed under an organic certification program that provides safeguards and guidelines governing the production and processing of such products are deemed equivalent. |
| Products outside the scope:
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NA | Animal products and animal based products (e.g. meat, dairy and honey) from Costa Rica cannot be imported into Canada as organic.
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| Country of origin:
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Products exported to Costa Rica must be produced and/or processed in Canada.
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Products exported to Canada must be produced and/or processed in Costa Rica. |
| Labelling requirements:
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Products under this arrangement may bear the Canada Organic Logo and/or Costa Rica’s organic seal. | Products under this arrangement may bear the Canada Organic Logo and/or Costa Rica’s organic seal.
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| Required paperwork: | Products must be accompanied by an organic certificate issued by a CFIA accredited CB. | Products must be accompanied by an organic certificate issued by a Costa Rican accredited CB.
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All other countries without an equivalency arrangement
The US-Canada Equivalency Arrangement is the only equivalency arrangement in Canada that covers third-country imports. This means that if a product is imported from a third country that does not have an equivalency arrangement (such as India), the only way that that product can be sold as organic into Canada is if the product is certified according to the Canada Organic Regime (COR) or the US National Organic Program (NOP).
