The Canadian Ministry of Trade and Industry has decided to lift the ban on the export of fresh Egyptian strawberries, provided that the Canadian importer obtains the necessary permits before completing the import, according to a statement from the Ministry of Trade and Industry on Thursday.

This coincides with the strawberries in Egypt undergoing several phytosanitary measures to ensure they are free of pests.
General import requirements will apply to the export of Egyptian strawberries, which include the necessity for the strawberries to be commercially produced and the presence of a plant health certificate attached to the shipments exported from Egypt issued no more than 14 days before export,” according to a statement by the Chief Trade Representative in Ottawa, Commissioner for Trade, Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah.

He clarified that the export certificate should be based on the shipment being free of pests according to Canadian regulations, including soil, leaves, and plant debris.
Importation also requires the importing company to obtain a permit from the Canadian agency during the trial period.
Shipments imported from Egypt are subject to a trial period, which is a standard requirement for fresh strawberry fruit coming to Canada from new sources.

The trial period also requires obtaining an import permit, with 100% of the imported shipments being subject to inspection upon arrival in Canada.

Following the confirmation of the Canadian Food Inspection, that fresh strawberry fruit from Egypt complies with the phytosanitary import requirements in Canada, there will be no need for an import permit, and it will transition to the standard inspection rates, according to the ministry's statement.