The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a notice that Canada has updated its identification requirements for breeding cattle entering the country from the United States.
Effective Feb. 1, 2018, Canada will require an 840 radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and a USA tattoo in the right ear.
The USDA metal tag will no longer be accepted as an option for identification of cattle for export to Canada.
U.S. regulations require special procedures for applying an 840 RFID tag to an animal already tagged with official identification. Veterinarians/exporters may refer to the IREGS website for further information.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has begun issuing import permits for breeding cattle to reflect these new requirements. The protocols and certificates for breeding cattle are updated accordingly on the APHIS IREGS website and Veterinary Export Health Certificate System.
This change is intended to reduce time during inspection at the Canadian border, as well as eliminate the need for U.S. animals to be retagged with Canadian identification upon reaching their destination in Canada.