Importation of Energy-using Products
Memorandum D19-6-3

ISSN 2369-2391

Ottawa,

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In Brief

This memorandum has been revised to:

  • a) remove information relating to the Other Government Department (OGD) Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) (service option 463) and OGD Release on Minimum Documentation (RMD) (service option 471) release service options as these two release service options were decommissioned on August 17, 2020.
  • b) make some housekeeping changes.

Legislation

Canada Border Services Agency Act - Sections 5(1) and 5(2)
Customs Act - Sections 12, 31, 99, 101, and 107
Energy Efficiency Act – Section 4 (1)
Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 – Section 7

Guidelines and General Information

Definitions

1. For definitions and a detailed description of the regulated energy-using products, please refer to the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 or NRCan's Guide to Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations.

Introduction

2. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) assists Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) in the administration of the Energy Efficiency Act and the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016. This memorandum outlines the procedures for the importation of energy-using products. These regulations do not apply to personal importations.

3. The Energy Efficiency Act and Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 prohibit the importation of certain energy-using products unless they meet specific requirements. Importers, who are dealers of these regulated products, must provide the CBSA with prescribed data elements.

Requirements of the Energy Efficiency Act and Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016

4. The Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 have five requirements:

5. For information purposes, the energy-using products that require an EnerGuide label may be found in the Guide to Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations.

6. For information purposes, the energy-using products that require a lighting product lamp label can be found in sections 424 to 429 of the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016.

7. The energy efficiency standards are intended to eliminate the least efficient products from the marketplace. The labels provide information that assists the purchasers in the selection of the most efficient products that are available.

Import Information Requirements

8. The Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 apply to dealers who import regulated energy-using products into Canada or ship regulated energy-using products from one Canadian province to another. In accordance with Section 7 of the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016, a dealer importing an energy-using product must provide the following information to NRCan via the CBSA:

9. Additional data elements, as listed in paragraph 8, are to be included in the Integrated Import Declaration (IID) submitted to the CBSA through the Single Window Initiative (SWI), service option 911.

10. For more information about the SWI, please refer to the CBSA website. Chapter 23 SWI IID of the Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document (ECCRD) provides technical and system requirements information. Appendix B of Chapter 23 includes a list of required data elements for NRCan.

11. If, under exceptional circumstances, it is impossible to submit release requests to the CBSA electronically through the SWI, importers must include the additional copy of the document with required data elements in the paper release package submitted to the CBSA. The document with additional data elements will be forwarded by the CBSA to NRCan at the address indicated in paragraph 23 of this Memorandum.

12. The above import requirements apply to the following regulated energy-using products (ordered by label requirements):

EnerGuide label is required for:

Lighting product label is required for:

Nameplate label is required for:

No label is required for:

13. For the most recent list of regulated energy-using products, please refer to NRCan’s Guide to Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations.

14. If products fall out of the scope of the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 but are classified under one of the HS codes on NRCan’s list, importers/customs brokers should still use SWI since it provides the option to indicate that the shipment is not regulated by NRCan.

15. The following are examples of situations, when Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 do not apply:

16. The import reporting requirements under the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 do not apply to the following regulated energy-using products: battery chargers, electric motors, external power supplies, fluorescent ballasts and small electric motors, when any of these products are incorporated into, or are components of any other products or machines, i.e. when an electric motor is part of a hoist, a fan, a blower, or a pump, or when a ballast is part of a fluorescent lighting fixture.

17. Approved participants of the CBSA’s Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) Program are allowed to transmit release requests through ACROSS using SO 125 or 257 when importing regulated energy-using products from counties other than U.S. and Mexico, without having to provide the five additional NRCan data elements. Eligible CSA participants will meet their import reporting requirements under the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 by sending monthly import reports directly to NRCan. Enquiries related to the NRCan/CSA program should be referred to the Office of Energy Efficiency at the address indicated in paragraph 23 of this Memorandum.

Responsibilities of the CBSA

18. Border services officers will verify that electronically transmitted release information related to the regulated energy-using products includes five data elements (see paragraph 8 above), as required under the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016, and will verify that this information complies with the Regulations.

19. Immediately upon release, the CBSA will automatically transmit data related to the import of regulated energy-using products to NRCan.

20. If the information on the regulated energy-using products entering Canada has not been submitted to the CBSA as required, a penalty may be issued by the CBSA for missing information. More information concerning the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) can be found on the CBSA website under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Compliance section, or by consulting the Memorandum D22-1-1 Administrative Monetary Penalty System.

Sharing of Information for the Purpose of Compliance Verification

21. Where an authorized NRCan officer, pursuant to the Energy Efficiency Act or Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016, requests in writing to obtain trade data pertaining to the energy-using products, the CBSA, upon review of each request, may authorize, under Section 107 of the Customs Act, the disclosure of requested information to NRCan.

Energy Efficiency Act

22. Every person who contravenes subsection 4(1) of the Energy Efficiency Act is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine not exceeding $50,000, or is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to a fine not exceeding $200,000.

Additional Information

23. For further information on the Energy Efficiency Act and Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016, please contact NRCan at:

Office of Energy Efficiency
Equipment Division
C.E.F. 930 Carling Avenue
Observatory, Bldg #3
Ottawa ON  K1A 0E4
Email: nrcan.importation-importation.rncan@canada.ca
Facsimile: 613-947-5286
Website: NRCan's Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016

24. For more information regarding the CBSA’s programs and services, please contact the Border Information Service (BIS) line. Within Canada, you can call BIS toll-free at 1-800-461-9999. From outside Canada, please call 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064 (long-distance charges will apply). Agents are available Monday to Friday (08:00 – 16:00 local time, except holidays). TTY is also available within Canada at 1-866-335-3237.

References

Issuing office
Other Government Department Programs Unit
Program and Policy Management Division
Commercial Program Directorate
Commercial and Trade Branch
Headquarters file
68522
Legislative references
Energy Efficiency Act
Customs Act
Customs tariff
Other references
D22-1-1
Superseded Memorandum D
D19-6-3 dated
Date modified: