CFIA HS Micro-Codes for Poultry-Product Lettuce Just Got Stranger
CFIA's June 2 AIRS update added three new 10-digit HS codes under Chapter 07 — lettuce, chicory, endive — that contain chicken or turkey, with country-of-origin and end-use registration conditions. If you're filing CADs on samples or research-purpose vegetables, here's what changed.
Three New Poultry-Lettuce Codes Under Chapter 07
CFIA published an AIRS update on June 2, 2026 that created three 10-digit commodity codes under HS Chapter 07 — lettuce, chicory, and endive — for shipments containing chicken or turkey meat, originating from Chile, imported for samples, scientific research, or show purposes. The codes are:
- 07.05.11.3001.04 (lettuce containing chicken)
- 07.05.11.3001.05 (lettuce containing turkey)
- 07.05.19.3001.04 (chicory/endive containing chicken)
- 07.05.19.3001.05 (chicory/endive containing turkey)
- 07.09.70.3001.04 (other salad greens containing chicken)
- 07.09.70.3001.05 (other salad greens containing turkey)
All six require a registration on file with CFIA before release and apply only when the declared end use is “Samples for testing,” “Scientific use (Research),” or “Show or exhibition.” If you’re clearing a commercial shipment of Chilean iceberg for retail, these codes don’t apply — you’d still use the 6-digit heading and treat it as a produce import. But if a Canadian university is importing a pallet of lettuce for avian-flu research and that lettuce contains poultry protein, your CAD now needs the 10-digit micro-code and a valid CFIA registration number in the supporting documents.
Why Poultry-Content Lettuce Exists
This isn’t a mistake. Research labs and diagnostic facilities occasionally import produce that has been inoculated, treated, or mixed with poultry tissue for pathogen testing, vaccine stability trials, or trade demonstration. CFIA’s existing AIRS framework already covers meat and poultry under Chapters 02, 16, and 23, but until this month there was no explicit HS pathway for vegetable commodities that contain poultry protein. The new codes close that gap and tie the release condition to Chile as country of origin, likely reflecting a specific access agreement or recent health certification protocol between Chile and Canada under their bilateral SPS framework.
If the lettuce comes from the United States, you’d still declare Chapter 07 at the 6-digit level and attach the CFIA import permit or registration as a supporting document, but you wouldn’t use the new 10-digit codes — those are Chile-specific. The same logic applies to poultry-content produce from the EU, Mexico, or anywhere else: CFIA wants the registration, but the HS granularity is driven by country of origin and end use.
Filing the CAD
When you file a CAD under one of these six codes, CBSA’s eManifest and AIRS validation will look for:
- A valid CFIA registration number tied to the consignee.
- An end-use declaration matching one of the three permitted categories (samples, research, or show/exhibition).
- Origin Chile on the commercial invoice and certificate of origin, if applicable.
If any of those elements are missing or inconsistent, the release recommendation flips to “Refuse entry” and the shipment sits at the sufferance warehouse until the importer provides corrected documentation or applies for an import permit amendment. We’ve seen similar hold patterns on research-purpose biological materials under Chapter 30 — CBSA releases the cargo to CFIA jurisdiction, CFIA reviews the registration and end-use letter, and if everything aligns, the release code updates to “May Release” within 24 to 48 hours. If the paperwork is incomplete, expect a formal CFIA inspection request and a three- to five-day hold while the consignee sorts out the registration or provides a laboratory attestation.
For clients bringing in research samples under these codes, make sure the commercial invoice explicitly states the end use and lists the poultry species. “Lettuce for laboratory use” is too vague. \
Source: CSCB