Clarification on the interpretation of the current US-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (USCOEA)

CFIA have provided clarification on the interpretation of the current US-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (USCOEA) which was signed in June 2009 and amended in January 2012.
The arrangement covers the accreditation system of both regulations in its geographical entirety meaning that agricultural products certified in accordance with the terms of the USCOEA are eligible for sale as organic in both countries. The product being traded under this arrangement does not have to originate within either country.
https://ioas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020.08.26-CFIA_Notice_re__Interpretation_of_the_USCOEA_re_USDA_recognition_agreement_with_INDIA.pdf

Other Agreements of Canada.

 1. Canada -Taiwan OEA.

Organic beers, ciders, and hard liquors are eligible for export to Taiwan. Wine, or any other product, produced prior to May 30, 2020, are considered part of the arrangement since Canada Organic Regime was unilaterally recognised by Taiwan at that time.

2. Canada -Japan OEA.

Livestock products produced prior to July 16, 2020 equivalency with Japan?

This question was addressed with other questions in the Q&A document. Under the Japan – Canada equivalency recognition for organic livestock and organic processed food products containing livestock ingredients, export certificates can only be issued on or after July 16, 2020 when the recognition is enforced. Organic products produced before the recognition’s effective date can be exported under the equivalency recognition on or after the effective date of the equivalency recognition as long as they are accompanied by a valid Export certificate. During the first two months of the recognition, Export certificates for organic livestock and organic processed food products containing livestock ingredients under the equivalency recognition could be issued to products exported before the effective date as long as they arrive in Japan or Canada on or after the recognition’s effective date.

3. Clarification on Canada’s equivalency with EU, Switzerland, Japan, Costa Rica, and Taiwan.

Regarding products exported from Canada to the countries with which Canada has equivalency arrangements, are the activities of packaging and labelling and repackaging and relabelling included in the scope of processing?

1. EU and Switzerland OEA – Organic products imported to Canada and only repackaged and relabelled without further processing are not part of the equivalency arrangements and cannot be exported to EU or Switzerland (CFIA letter regarding clarification of “Processed product” EUCOEA)
2. Japan – organic products which are grown or produced in Canada or whose final processing or packaging occurs within Canada are part of the arrangement
3. Costa Rica- only agricultural products produced and certified in Canada are part of the arrangement
4.  Taiwan – organic products, which are grown or produced in Canada or whose final processing or packaging occurs within Canada are part of the arrangement

Source: IOAS News Letter September 2020