Exporting from Canada to China: tariffs, registration, certificates and controls

Where to start: Trade Commissioner Service, CanExport and EDC

The federal Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), part of Global Affairs Canada, is the usual first contact. Its Doing business in China page lists four offices in mainland China: the Embassy of Canada in Beijing and the Consulates General in Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Hong Kong and Macao are covered by a separate TCS office at the Consulate General in Hong Kong.

The TCS readiness page asks firms to answer "Why China, why now", to begin with a narrow regional target, to protect intellectual property before entering the market, and to check export controls, sanctions and forced-labour risk in the supply chain.

Funding and finance to check:

• CanExport SMEs offers up to CAD 50,000 to enter new markets, and CanExport Innovation up to CAD 37,500. On 2026-09-17 the TCS funding page showed CanExport Associations and CanExport Community Investments as not accepting applications. The page does not say whether China is an eligible target market for a given applicant, so the program guide is the place to confirm.
• Export Development Canada (EDC) rates its position on China as "Open", meaning all EDC solutions are available subject to normal approval. That country page is dated 2023-08-04. An EDC article of 2026-04-14 says EDC has in-market teams based in Shanghai and Beijing.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Much of what exporters learned before 2025 is out of date. The main changes, in date order:

• 2025-03-20: China's additional tariffs took effect: 100% on Canadian canola oil, oil cake (canola meal) and peas, and 25% on aquatic products and pork (Tariff Commission Announcement 2025 No. 3).
• 2025-08-14: provisional anti-dumping deposits of 75.8% on Canadian canola seed (MOFCOM Announcement 2025 No. 40), replaced on 2026-03-01 by a final duty of 5.9% for five years.
• 2026-01-16: Canada and China announced a preliminary joint arrangement, summarized in a Global Affairs Canada backgrounder. From 2026-03-01 to 2026-12-31 China does not levy the additional tariffs on canola meal, peas, lobster and crab. Nothing official yet says what happens on 2027-01-01.
• 2026-03-14 and 2026-07-01: new Chinese anti-dumping measures on Canadian halogenated butyl rubber (final, 13.8%) and pea starch (preliminary deposit, 73.5%).
• 2026-06-01: GACC Decree 280 replaced Decree 248 for the registration of overseas food producers.
• 2025-04-04 onward: Chinese export licensing of seven rare earths; the October 2025 expansion is suspended until 2026-11-10.
• 2025-10-09: a Canadian company, TechInsights Inc., was placed on China's Unreliable Entity List.
• 2026-02-17 to 2026-12-31: 30-day visa-free entry to China for Canadian ordinary passport holders.
• 2026-05-01: the January 2026 edition of the Guide to Canada's Export Control List took effect.

China's tariff on your product, including the additional tariffs on Canadian goods

Canada has no free trade agreement with China. Canadian goods pay China's most-favoured-nation (MFN) rate, or a lower provisional rate where one exists for the tariff line, plus import VAT, plus any additional tariff or trade remedy duty. The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, whose office is in the Ministry of Finance Tariff Department, publishes the annual Tariff Adjustment Plan. The 2026 plan took effect on 2026-01-01.

Additional tariffs aimed at Canadian goods:

• Tariff Commission Announcement 2025 No. 3 (effective 2025-03-20): an additional 100% on Canadian canola oil, oil cake (canola meal) and peas, and an additional 25% on aquatic products and pork.
• Tariff Commission Announcement 2026 No. 2 (2026-02-27): from 2026-03-01 to 2026-12-31 the additional 100% on oil cake and peas and the additional 25% on lobster and crab are not levied. All other measures in Announcement 2025 No. 3 stay in force.

On 2026-09-17 the additional 100% on canola oil, and the additional 25% on pork and on aquatic products other than lobster and crab, therefore still apply. A common mistake is to assume the suspension covers canola oil, pork or all seafood, or that it runs past 2026-12-31.

No free official English tariff query tool for China was confirmed. The places to check are the Tariff Commission announcements, WTO tariff data for MFN rates (it does not show the Canada-specific additional tariffs), and the Chinese importer's customs broker.

Anti-dumping duties on Canadian canola seed, butyl rubber and pea starch

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM, 商务部) investigates dumping and publishes its determinations as numbered announcements. These duties apply on top of the MFN rate and any additional tariff, so they belong in every landed-cost calculation. Three cases concern Canadian goods:

• Canola seed (HS 12051090 and 12059090): MOFCOM Announcement 2026 No. 14 of 2026-02-28 set a final anti-dumping duty of 5.9% for all Canadian companies, effective 2026-03-01 for five years. The provisional deposit rate from 2025-08-14 had been 75.8%. With the 9% MFN duty the combined rate is 14.9%, the figure Global Affairs Canada confirmed on 2026-03-04. Deposits collected from 2025-12-14 to 2026-02-28 are refunded; for 2025-08-14 to 2025-12-13 the excess over 5.9% is refunded.
• Halogenated butyl rubber: MOFCOM Announcement 2026 No. 15 of 2026-03-13 set a final duty of 13.8% (ARLANXEO Canada and all others), effective 2026-03-14 for five years.
• Pea starch (HS 11081900): MOFCOM Announcement 2026 No. 25 of 2026-06-30 set a preliminary deposit of 73.5% from 2026-07-01. Announcement 2026 No. 31 extended the investigation to 2027-02-12. This is a preliminary determination, not a final one.

Food: GACC registration of overseas producers under Decree 280 (CIFER)

China's General Administration of Customs (GACC, 海关总署) requires overseas food producers to be registered before their products can enter China. GACC Decree 280 (Provisions on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food) took effect on 2026-06-01 and replaced Decree 248, in force since 2022-01-01. Registration still runs through the CIFER system.

What the CFIA notice of 2026-05-08 says changed:

• 17 food categories need an official recommendation from the competent authority (CFIA), including meat, dairy, aquatic products, bee products, edible oils, nuts and foods for special dietary uses.
• Registration is valid for five years. Most products renew automatically; only terrestrial meat products and bird's nest products need a renewal application. The renewal window is 3 to 12 months before expiry (it was 3 to 6).
• Cold storage facilities for terrestrial and aquatic animal products must register. Ambient storage facilities do not.
• Fresh vegetables, grains, oilseeds, dried beans and unroasted coffee and cocoa beans left CIFER and fall under separate GACC quarantine registration.

Two points are often missed: food produced before the registration approval date cannot be exported to China, and inner and outer packaging must show either the GACC registration number or the CFIA establishment ID. CFIA pages continue to refer to Decree 249 for importer and exporter record filing, inspection and labelling. Market access questions go to the AAFC Market Access Secretariat.

CFIA export certificates and eligibility by product

The CFIA Food export requirements library has one page per commodity for China, and export certificates are requested through My CFIA. What the current pages say:

• Meat: eligible products are frozen beef (boneless and bone-in) from cattle under 30 months, chilled beef under a pilot, frozen pork, chilled pork under a pilot, and edible pork by-products. Poultry meat and beef offal are not eligible. Pork must come from a CFIA-recognized ractopamine-free program and beef must meet the Canadian Beta-Agonist Free Beef Certification Program. The certificate is form CFIA/ACIA 4159, and the approved establishment list is the CIFER query site.
• Fish and seafood: non-live aquatic products need CIFER registration; live aquatic animals need listing on China's quarantine registration list. Certificates are CFIA/ACIA 5328 and CFIA/ACIA 5584. Labels in Chinese and English must show, among other items, common and scientific name, production date, lot and the registration number of each establishment.
• Canola, grains and pulses: facilities apply for quarantine registration through the AAFC Market Access Secretariat and receive a 17-character number beginning "QCAN". A CFIA phytosanitary certificate is needed. The page lists raw lentils, chickpeas, fava beans, adzuki beans and oats as currently ineligible.
• Pet food: China requires a facility audit and GACC approval, and CFIA added a new registration procedure in June 2026.

Chinese labels, CCC certification, cosmetics and medical devices

Three Chinese regimes apply to many packaged and manufactured goods. In each case the regulator's own site is the place to confirm whether a specific product is covered.

• Food labels: prepackaged food needs a Chinese label that complies with China's national food safety standards. The general labelling standard is GB 7718. A revised edition, GB 7718-2025, has been issued by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR); the implementation date is stated in the standard itself. Commodity-specific label content for meat and seafood is on the CFIA pages.
• China Compulsory Certification (CCC): products in the CCC catalogue (many electrical, automotive, toy and similar goods) cannot be imported or sold without the CCC mark. The scheme is run by the Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) under SAMR. The CNCA site has the certification rules, the list of designated certification bodies and a certificate lookup. Check the catalogue for the exact product.
• Cosmetics and medical devices: the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) is the regulator. Imported cosmetics need registration (special cosmetics) or filing (general cosmetics) through a China-based responsible person. Imported medical devices need filing (Class I) or registration (Class II and III) through a China-based agent. The NMPA English site has sections for cosmetics, medical devices, laws and a database.

Intellectual property and online sales channels

China is a first-to-file jurisdiction for trademarks, and a Canadian registration gives no rights in China. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) guide Protecting your IP in China says to apply as early as possible and to register a Chinese-language version of the mark separately.

• Trademarks can be filed directly with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) or through the Madrid System; patents directly or through the PCT.
• Copyright can be recorded with the Copyright Protection Centre of China.
• Rights can be recorded with GACC so that customs can detain infringing imports and exports.

A common mistake is filing only after a distributor or a squatter has registered the mark, for example after the first trade show or sample shipment. The January 2026 Canada-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap resumed the bilateral Intellectual Property Working Group.

On online channels, the TCS page Introduction to E-Commerce in China explains cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) retail import, which lets foreign brands sell to Chinese consumers through platforms such as Tmall Global, JD Worldwide and Douyin without the full general-trade registration burden for many products. The tax rules for this channel are in the notice 财关税〔2018〕49号, published on gov.cn. The Roadmap also refers to a possible e-commerce memorandum of understanding.

Canadian export controls and sanctions that apply to China

Canadian law applies to the exporter wherever the buyer is. Global Affairs Canada administers both regimes.

• Export Control List (ECL): any item on the ECL needs an export permit for China, as it does for every destination except, in most cases, the United States. The current Guide to Canada's Export Control List is the January 2026 edition, effective 2026-05-01. Recent additions cover quantum computing, advanced semiconductors and metal additive manufacturing. Item 5505 is a catch-all for goods and technology destined for weapons of mass destruction end-uses.
• Area Control List: it contains only North Korea. China is not on it. A common mistake is to conclude that no permit is needed; the test is whether the item is on the ECL.
• Hong Kong: Notice to Exporters No. 1003 (2020-07-07) says Canada treats exports of sensitive goods to Hong Kong in the same way as those destined for China and will not permit the export of sensitive military items.
• Sanctions: the Special Economic Measures (People's Republic of China) Regulations came into force on 2021-03-21 (asset freeze and dealings ban on listed persons tied to human rights violations in Xinjiang). Eight more individuals were added on 2024-12-09. Counterparties can be screened against the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List, last updated 2026-09-04.

Chinese export controls, entity lists and data rules

Several Chinese regimes reach Canadian firms that buy from, sell to or operate in China. MOFCOM's export control information site collects the laws, the list database and FAQs.

• Dual-use exports: the Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Items (State Council Order 792) and a unified control list took effect on 2024-12-01. The Chinese exporter, not the foreign buyer, applies to MOFCOM. TCS says standard processing can take up to 45 working days and that end-user and end-use documents are required.
• Critical minerals needing a MOFCOM licence: gallium and germanium items (from 2023-08-01), graphite items (2023-12-01), antimony and superhard materials (2024-09-15), and seven medium and heavy rare earths including alloys, oxides, compounds and magnets (Announcement 2025 No. 18, from 2025-04-04).
• Suspended until 2026-11-10: Announcement 2025 No. 70 suspended Announcements 2025 No. 55 to 58, No. 61 (foreign-made items with 0.1% or more Chinese rare earth content) and No. 62.
• Unreliable Entity List (MOFCOM Order 2020 No. 4): TechInsights Inc. and seven affiliates were listed on 2025-10-09. China also applied Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law countermeasures to two Canadian organizations, effective 2024-12-21.
• Personal data: under the Personal Information Protection Law, cross-border transfers need a security assessment, a standard contract filing or certification. A common mistake is sending employee or customer data from China to Canadian servers without checking these routes.

Business travel: the travel advisory and visa-free entry

Canada's travel advice for China, last updated 2026-09-17, is "Exercise a high degree of caution", with regional advisories. It warns of arbitrary enforcement of local laws, exit bans on people involved in civil or criminal matters, broad national security laws, and detention of up to 37 days without formal charge in criminal investigations. Passports must be valid for six months on entry.

On visas, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 2026-02-15 that from 2026-02-17 to 2026-12-31 holders of Canadian ordinary passports may enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family or friend visits, exchanges and transit. Anyone outside those conditions (longer stays, work, study, journalism, non-ordinary passports) still needs a visa. There is no official word yet on extension beyond 2026-12-31, so trips planned for 2027 should be checked against the Chinese notice closer to the date.

The exit ban warning matters to business travellers in particular, because it refers to civil matters as well as criminal ones. Read the advisory's section on laws before each trip, since it is updated often.

Before you ship: a checklist

The steps below restate the checks described in this guide. Each one points to a rule and an official source, not to a business decision.

1. Confirm the Chinese tariff line with the importer and look up the MFN rate, any additional tariff on Canadian goods (Tariff Commission announcements) and any anti-dumping duty (MOFCOM announcements).
2. If the product is canola meal, peas, lobster or crab, note that the tariff suspension ends on 2026-12-31 and that no official text covers 2027.
3. For food, confirm whether the product is in CIFER or under quarantine registration, check the establishment on the CIFER query site, and check that production dates fall after the registration approval date.
4. Read the CFIA requirements library page for the commodity, including certificate form numbers and Chinese label content.
5. For manufactured goods, check the CCC catalogue on the CNCA site; for cosmetics and medical devices, check NMPA requirements.
6. Check trademark status in China, including the Chinese-character mark.
7. Check the item against the Export Control List, and screen the buyer, consignee and end user against the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List.
8. Check whether any party appears on China's Unreliable Entity List, and whether personal data will leave China.
9. Read the current travel advisory and confirm the visa-free conditions before booking travel.