Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 8, 2024
If you’re a Canadian agriculture, food or seafood company looking for a competitive advantage, the Canada Brand will help to differentiate your products in a saturated global marketplace, by providing access to: Together, we can continue to build and expand the long-term competitiveness of the agriculture and agri-food sector. Together we can brand Canada! Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service is seeking small, medium and large-sized companies, including agriculture and processed foods exporters to join the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development for the following in-market Team Canada Trade Missions to: 1) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (March 24-26, 2024) and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (March 27-29, 2024); and 2) Seoul, South Korea (April 21 – 25, 2024). Team Canada Trade Missions are Minister-led, enhanced trade missions to the Indo-Pacific region tied to Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. These trade missions prioritize innovation sectors and seek to open doors for Canadian companies, from large and diverse businesses to SMEs led by groups traditionally underrepresented in trade. If your company is interested in participating, please submit your application by January 12, 2024, 17:00 EDT. A monoclonal antibody treatment significantly increased the amounts of multiple common foods that food-allergic children and adolescents could consume without an allergic reaction, according to a planned interim analysis of an advanced clinical trial. The trial is sponsored and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The current Canadian Customs Tariff files show the tariff treatments from countries with which Canada has tariff arrangements as well as preferential tariff treatments for products coming from countries with which Canada has a free trade agreement. They are updated at least once a year, or whenever necessary. The Canada Border Services Agency issues customs notices to the importing community whenever there are amendments. Fees for CFIA services will increase +3.4% starting March 31, 2024. We would like to inform you that Health Canda is extending the consultation on a proposed modernized regulatory framework for foods for special dietary use and infant foods. The consultation period will now close on February 26, 2024. Health Canada is proposing three amendments to the Table of Reference Amounts for Food based on stakeholder feedback, consumption data, market trends, and to address identified gaps for specific food categories. Comments on the proposals can be provided until February 28, 2024. The Registry would require producers to report annually on the quantity and types of plastic they place on the Canadian market, how that plastic moves through the economy, and how it is managed at end of life. The Registry would collect information to help monitor plastic in the economy over time. The Government would use this information to measure progress toward zero plastic waste and inform actions to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. This consultation is open to Canadians and all interested parties until February 13, 2024. We wish to inform you that Health Canada has published a notice to stakeholders on December 18, 2023, announcing the implementation of a transition strategy to normalize the regulatory pathway for products listed under the interim policy, which was established in March 2022 to mitigate infant formula shortages. Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have published an interim joint policy statement regarding the enforcement of section 37 of the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) to foods intended for export only. To find out about the Regulations Amending the Medical Devices Regulations (Medical Devices for an Urgent Public Health Need), and updates to the Fees in Respect of Drugs and Medical Devices Order. An additional set of technical decision trees that reflect the amended Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) are now available on WHMIS.org. These trees help suppliers visualize the potential logic flow for classifying the health hazards of workplace hazardous products in Canada. They cover the classification requirements of each of the health hazard classes outlined in the 12 subparts of Part 8 of the amended HPR. In the event of a discrepancy between the technical decision trees and the regulations, the regulations prevail. The notice would be issued under subsection 46(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (the Act). The notice would require that any person described in Schedule 3 of the notice and who possesses or who may reasonably be expected to have access to information described in Schedules 4 through 5 of the notice provide the Minister with this information. The listing is vast and includes resins, food, beverage and other types single and reusable packaging, electronics, tires, transportation, consumer products, fishing gear, textiles and apparel and others. Stay tuned for more information. Persons subject to the notice would be required to submit the information required by the notice using the online portal. Health Canada is taking steps to further improve the safety of pesticides by introducing the Continuous Oversight of Pesticides policy. This policy builds on the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s (PMRA) existing monitoring systems and also introduces new monitoring activities. The consultation will close for consultation on 3 March 2024. In collaboration with industry, labour, Indigenous groups and other levels of government, the Office will work to increase efficiency and resiliency across our supply chains, including mitigating impacts from disruptions. The National Supply Chain Office will: Environment and Climate Change Canada has published a new Code of Practice. The objective of this Code of Practice (Code) is to identify and promote best practices in the management and handling of chemical substances in the manufacturing and distribution of chemicals, plastics, and rubber products in order to prevent releases of these substances into the environment. In addition, the Code has been developed for use as a supporting risk management instrument to address specific substances used in the chemicals, plastics and rubber sectors. The Government concluded that dinoseb (phenol, 2-(1-methylpropyl)-4,6-dinitro- CASRN 88-85-7) is entering or may enter the environment at concentrations that may be harmful to the environment. The Government is considering the implementation of an environmental performance agreement, or a pollution prevention planning notice. o further inform risk management decision-making, the Government is seeking information on: The ministers no longer suspect that the substance is toxic or capable of becoming toxic within the meaning of section 64 of the Act for the substance 1,2-dichloro-, polymer with ammonia, N-substituted reaction products sodium hydroxide, Confidential Substance Identity Number 13774-4. The amendments increase fine amounts identified for each contravention designated under Schedule I.3 of the CR from $500 to $1,000. The offences are provided under CEPA 1999 as well as for 30 regulations. The objective of the Regulations Amending the PCB Regulations and the Regulations Designating Regulatory Provisions for Purposes of Enforcement (Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999) [the proposed Amendments] is to provide flexibility for the use and storage of PCB-containing equipment under unique circumstances that were not foreseen when the Regulations came into force. The objective of the amendments is to increase the fine amounts associated with designated offences under the TDGA to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Contraventions Regime as an appropriate enforcement tool. As a result, the amendments aim to deter the commission of offences under the TDGA, therefore promoting public safety in the transportation of dangerous goods by all modes of transport regulated by Transport Canada. This bulletin explains shipping document requirements. It does not change, create, amend, or suggest deviations to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDG Regulations). For specific details, consult Part 3 of the TDG Regulations. The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for pesticide regulation in Canada. The public registry is where you can learn more about all pest control products registered for use in Canada.
Alberta OHS has released its 2022 annual report on workplace injury, illness and fatality data. OHS examined this data to identify trends and patterns among different types of workers, occupations and industries. Accompanying infographics visually showcase data trends on injury, illness and fatality claims by WCB industry sectors. Introduced as part of the B.C. government’s Bill 41, effective January 1, 2024, employers and workers have a legal duty to cooperate in timely and safe return to work, and certain employers are required to maintain employment with their injured workers in specific circumstances. On December 19, 2023, Nutrien Ltd. pleaded guilty in Moosomin Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on September 20, 2021, near Rocanville, Saskatchewan when a worker suffered a serious injury after stepping into an unguarded floor opening. Companies that violate Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) now face fines of up to $2 million, following the provincial government’s passing of the Working for Workers Act, 2023. The officers completed a North American inspection program through the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Graduates of the program can conduct consistent commercial vehicle inspections across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Effective December 19, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the regulations for food additives permitted in feed and drinking water of animals to provide for the safe use of calcium formate as a feed acidifying agent, to lower the pH, in complete swine and poultry feeds at levels not to exceed 1.2 percent of the complete feed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of its Cosmetics Direct electronic submission portal for registration and listing of cosmetic product facilities and products, mandated by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). The Cosmetics Direct portal, now available for industry, is dedicated exclusively to cosmetic product facility registration and cosmetic product listing electronic submissions to FDA. Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 18, 2024, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST for an informational webinar to preview the 2024 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) tool and learn how to sign up for and participate in the testing period before the tool is formally launched. In support of its mission to protect human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring chemical companies to submit records of significant adverse human health and environmental effects reported to have been caused by 4,4′-Methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) (CASRN: 101-14-4), a chemical EPA announced on Dec. 14, 2023, it was planning to prioritize for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has published the annual revision the civil penalties for infractions related to the transportation of dangerous goods (DOT-49CFR). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the 2023 Mercury Inventory Report on the supply, use, and trade of mercury in the U.S. This is the second inventory report published after finalizing the 2018 mercury inventory reporting rule, adding to the suite of completed mandates related to elemental mercury and mercury compounds per the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Effective December 29, 2023, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has added bisphenol S (BPS) to the Proposition 65 list as a reproductive toxicant (female reproductive endpoint). A number of chemicals have been updated on the Inventory. As part of the process for establishing occupational exposure limits (OELs), ECHA prepares a scientific report for consideration by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC). With the information provided during the consultations, ECHA’s report forms the annex of the RAC opinion discussed in the RAC plenary meetings. The consultations are held to allow parties to comment on the report and to support RAC in adopting an opinion on occupational exposure limits. The consultations close on February 19, 2024. Safety Share Gas and wood fireplaces may emit carbon monoxide, a deadly gas, or other pollutants into your home. Make sure you have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms properly installed! Carbon monoxide can be fatal! Have an event you would like to share? Please send details to [email protected]. The next European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Conference will take place on 28 February 2024 in Helsinki. As we are preparing the programme, we want to hear what would be the most important topics for you. So, fill in our short survey and help us shape a relevant and inspiring stakeholder event. The 2024 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo will take place March 10–14, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit the 2024 website to view upcoming deadlines. The Baking Association of Canada’s national baking industry event will feature a bustling trade show and conference, inspirational speakers, education sessions, competitions and demonstrations and countless opportunities to network and benefit your business. Collaborate and network with thousands of your colleagues, experts from several industries, and NFPA staff on life, fire, and electrical safety innovation at the 2024 NFPA Conference & Expo.Advocacy
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