[QUOTE=rodawn;6519757]
ALL imports are inspected by the authorized CFIA Veterinarian. They verify the paperwork, they verify the contents of the shipper. Whether the semen is coming from Europe or the United States, the CFIA Vet is one who verifies and clears (or denies) the shipment.[/QUOTE]
Just a little adjustment to the above here… 
Actually, the majority of equine semen shipments from the US to Canada are cleared by CBSA personnel (Canada Border Services Agency - formerly “Canada Customs”), not the CFIA vets. Furthemore, CBSA are strictly directed to not open the packaging as a matter of routine. It is typically only if there are apparent problems with the shipment (e.g. no accompanying, or something incorrect with the paperwork, or something suspicious with the container) that it is referred to CFIA.
Having said that, the shipment may be inspected and cleared by the CFIA vet, but I’m pretty sure you’ll find that the majority never see a vet, just the CBSA inspector.
This is from the CFIA-AIRS import requirement for equine semen from OK, USA to Canada:
[I]Recommendations to CBSA/Documentation and Registration Requirements
Refer to CFIA-ISC (must be accompanied by the following documents\registrations):
Import Permit
Zoosanitary Export Certificate for Semen
–OR–
CBSA Inspection (must be accompanied by the following documents\registrations):
Import Permit
Zoosanitary Export Certificate for Semen[/I]
Furthermore it notes:
[I]INSTRUCTIONS FOR CBSA
PLEASE NOTE THAT NONE OF THE SEMEN CONTAINERS MUST BE OPENED. NO PHYSICAL INSPECTION TO BE DONE, ONLY DOCUMENTATION REVIEW. [/I]
(and by the way that’s a “sic” quote - “none of the semen containers…” - must have been translated from a French original version! :lol: )
Note that this does not apply to equine semen imported from other countries such as Europe, which must be inspected by CFIA.
For further details you can review the current regulations on the CFIA-AIRS page. Start the search with “semen equine” - without the inverted commas, and worded in that order - and “drill down” from there.
Having personally worked with CBSA, I can assure you that they have a very highly developed targeting system for potential contraband, so although CFIA is not automatically involved in the inspection of equine semen from the US, you had better believe that if equine semen makes the CBSA list for “high risk” imports, it’s quite possibly going to end up requiring CFIA inspection and result in an increased risk of delays of shipments! So that’s another reason to make sure that everyone in the industry that is shipping semen to Canada is doing so legitimately!!!
