CFIA Feed Admissibility Updated in AIRS — What Changed and What You File Now

AIRS Update Pushed Live June 11

CFIA updated the Automated Import Reference System on June 11, 2026, to reflect the final implementation phase of the Feeds Regulations, 2024. If you import commodities designated for the end use “Livestock feed” from any country, the admissibility criteria you filed against last week are no longer current. The change affects PRN (Product Registration Number) requirements, end-use coding, and the documentation CBSA expects to see on the CAD at time of release.

This is not a soft guidance update. AIRS is the system CBSA references to determine whether a shipment meets CFIA requirements at first assessment. When AIRS changes, the officer reviewing your CAD sees different criteria. If your broker is still filing the old PRN structure or omitting the new end-use attestation, the shipment will be flagged for a CFIA documentation hold before it clears the port.

What the Feeds Regulations, 2024 Actually Changed

The Feeds Regulations, 2024 consolidate and replace the 1983 framework. The practical difference for importers: CFIA now requires a product registration number (PRN) for a broader set of feed ingredients, and the end-use declaration on the import entry must match the PRN class exactly. Previously, brokers could often clear animal feed using a general CFIA commodity code and a supplier attestation. That path closed when the new regulations took effect.

The June 11 AIRS update brings the system in line with the final regulatory text. If your feed supplier obtained a PRN under the old regulations, verify that it maps to the new PRN structure. CFIA published a transition notice in May outlining the PRN revalidation process, but importers are responsible for ensuring the PRN on the commercial invoice matches the PRN the broker declares on the CAD. Mismatch = hold.

What Brokers Are Filing Now

When we prepare a CAD for livestock feed post-June 11, we:

• Declare the updated PRN in the CFIA data field, cross-referenced against the current AIRS admissibility table.
• Code the end use as “Livestock feed” using the specific CFIA end-use code published in the AIRS update.
• Attach the PRN certificate issued by the feed manufacturer or their Canadian authorized representative. CBSA will not release on a supplier declaration alone.
• Include a statement of intended use if the commodity can serve both feed and non-feed purposes (for example, certain protein meals). CFIA wants to see which stream the importer is claiming at time of import, not retroactively.

If your broker is filing from a standing instruction template created before June 11, flag it. The old CFIA commodity code may still appear valid in the CBSA system, but the AIRS cross-check will fail, and the shipment will route to a manual CFIA review queue. That adds two to four business days, depending on the port and the CFIA inspector’s workload.

OGD Holds Still Happen Outside CARM

CARM brought most customs workflow into the CARM Client Portal, but CFIA holds still trigger outside that interface. When a feed shipment is flagged for a documentation discrepancy, CBSA places a CFIA hold code on the cargo control document. The importer or broker receives a hold notice via the CARM messaging system, but the resolution happens directly with the CFIA inspector assigned to the file, not through a CARM portal upload.

We see this create confusion for importers who assume they can resolve all holds by uploading a corrected document in CARM. CFIA holds require email or fax correspondence with the CFIA area office, and the inspector must manually clear the hold in AIRS before CBSA will process the release. Plan for that delay if your feed shipment lands on a Friday afternoon or before a long weekend.

Check Your PRN Before the Next Shipment

If you import livestock feed regularly, pull the PRN from your most recent cleared entry and compare it against the updated AIRS table published June 11. CFIA maintains the current AIRS export at inspection.canada.ca, and brokers can query AIRS directly through the CBSA eManifest portal. If the PRN structure changed, contact your feed supplier and request the updated certificate before the next shipment. Correcting a PRN post-arrival is possible, but it delays release and often incurs sufferance warehouse storage while the paperwork is sorted.

For high-volume feed importers, consider filing a standing CFIA admissibility query with your broker. We maintain a watch list for AIRS updates that affect repeat commodities, and we flag PRN changes before the shipment is on the water. That gives you time to update the commercial invoice and the packing list, rather than discovering the issue when the container is sitting at the port.

Compliance Risk on Volume Feed Programs

If you run a continuous feed import program (monthly or weekly container volumes), the June 11 update creates a compliance gap if your broker has not reviewed the standing CAD instructions. CBSA does not grandfather old PRN declarations. Every CAD filed after June 11 is assessed against the current AIRS table, regardless of whether prior entries cleared without issue.

We have seen importers receive AMPS penalties for repeat filing errors when a regulatory change invalidates a standing instruction and the broker continues to file the old coding. The Master Penalty Document treats each incorrect CAD as a separate infraction, and the penalty can escalate quickly if the same error appears across multiple entries. The defence (“we filed it the same way we always have”) does not hold when the regulation changed mid-program. Your compliance file needs a review cycle that catches AIRS updates before they become penalty exposure.

What to Do Today

Pull your last three feed entries and confirm the PRN and end-use coding match the June 11 AIRS update. If you see a discrepancy, notify your broker and request a corrected standing instruction template. If you have shipments in transit, flag them for pre-arrival review so the broker can verify the documentation before the cargo arrives at the port. CFIA holds are easier to prevent than to resolve after the fact.

We run AIRS queries as part of standard brokerage service for feed and ag imports. If your last entry cleared without issue but you are not sure whether the PRN is still valid, run it past us. Start here.

Source: CSCB