The Duties Relief Program administered by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) was not designed for agriculture goods. It does not provide adequate safeguards to address the potential for diversion into the domestic market that is presented when chicken is imported into Canada for further processing and subsequent re-export. Specifically, we have identified the following concerns with respect to the Duties Relief Program:

• Marinated products, which were banned from Global Affairs Canada’s Import to- Re-export Program due to concerns regarding the possible diversion to the domestic market, are permitted under DRP.

• Participants have up to 4 years to re-export the chicken they’ve imported.
• Imported products can be substituted with lower value cuts, and even spent fowl.
• The program duplicates Global Affairs Canada’s Import to- Re-export Program, which was created specifically for agricultural goods, and has in place adequate verification and safeguard processes

The Canadian government announced, on 5 October 2015, that dairy, poultry and egg tariff lines subject to the TRQ would be excluded from the Duties Relief Program. Canada’s government must enact this change and ensure that no further damage occurs from the misuse of the Duties Relief Program.

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