CBSA has announced changes to the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration (IID) that affect goods regulated under Health Canada’s Consumer Products Program. The changes are set out in Addendum 1.7 to the Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document (ECCRD), and CBSA expects to implement them in February 2027.
This post covers what is changing, what the announcement does not say, and how importers and brokers can use the lead time.
Where this sits
The IID is the electronic declaration brokers and importers use to obtain release for commercial goods that other federal departments also regulate. Health Canada has 12 import programs under Single Window, and Consumer Products is one of them. CBSA’s ECCRD Chapter 23 holds the IID specifications, and Addendum 1.7 to Version 5.0, dated July 2026, carries the rule changes for Health Canada and several other agencies. CBSA’s guidance for Health Canada goods is that an importer or broker releasing them through the IID must submit all the required Health Canada data elements, or may be issued an administrative monetary penalty.
What is changing
The announcement lists four changes. First, the existing age-based product categories are replaced by new product-specific categories. Consumer products have been declared under categories tied to the age of the intended user, such as infants, toddlers, children in several age bands, ages 13 and over, and all ages, alongside consumer chemical and cosmetic. Second, Health Canada matching will be based on the Harmonized System classification. Third, a new code, HC99, is introduced for goods that are exempt from Health Canada data requirements. Fourth, the Intended Use and cosmetic reporting requirements are updated.
What the announcement does not say
It does not list the new product categories, describe how HC99 is entered, or spell out the new Intended Use and cosmetic rules. Those details are in the addendum, which CBSA publishes through the ECCRD page. Anyone preparing should read it directly or ask their EDI provider to summarize the Health Canada section.
The HC99 change is worth attention. Goods that are not subject to Health Canada’s requirements can share the same tariff classification as goods that are, and have needed verification before a release request. A code for exempt goods suggests a cleaner way to declare them once matching is HS-based, though the addendum has to confirm how it works.
The timeline
CBSA says it expects to implement the changes in February 2027. It gave the lead time so that systems can be tested and importers can check that their HS classifications, product categories, and regulatory information are accurate and available before the changes apply.
What to do now
Start with the HS classification of each consumer product you import, because under the new approach it drives the Health Canada match. An incorrect classification is likelier to cause a problem once matching depends on it.
Then sort your products into those that are regulated and those that are exempt. Where a product sits under an HS code that Health Canada matches but is outside its data requirements, find out whether HC99 applies.
Collect the intended use and, for cosmetics, the reporting details you hold for each product, since both are being updated. Suppliers are often the only source, so start asking.
Finally, ask your customs broker and EDI software provider when testing opens and how they plan to map the new categories. Importers who file through a broker should expect questions about their product data between now and February.
We are reviewing client consumer product and cosmetic imports ahead of the change. If you want a review of your products, reach out to your ShipTech account manager.