CCA Statement on Proposed Federal Livestock Traceability Regulations
January 10, 2026
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced today that the CFIA will pause any publication of the proposed amendments to Part XV (Traceability) of the Health of Animals Regulations until the proposed changes are more widely understood and concerns are heard and taken into consideration. The announcement clarifies that these amendments are not currently in place and have not been finalized.
Traceability is the ability to confidentially track livestock through their lifecycle, enabling rapid response during disease outbreaks or natural disasters, and support market access. CCA recognizes the system cannot be onerous for producers; traceability requires adoption and participation to be effective. Our goal is to ensure all regulations and proposed changes are feasible and offer clear industry value.
Canada’s traceability system is a critical component of current and future global trade agreements. The goal of the system is to enhance disease preparedness while minimizing the impact on affected producers. The system requires regular review and periodic updates.
Canada exports over 40% of our beef cattle production every year. Traceability is a valuable asset when negotiating ongoing trade agreements. Our reliance on export markets is much different than other countries such as the U.S.A. The faster a disease investigation can be fully investigated, the faster regular trade (exports) with other countries will resume. BSE illustrated what lack of exports can do to the industry.
For most producers, the biggest proposed change is the requirement to report when animals are added to your herd (move-in reporting) which will be required sooner than the current 30 days.
The amended regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, which was scheduled for Spring 2026 and has been paused for further consultation.
If you want to learn more about the now-paused proposed changes, Alberta Beef Producers hosted virtual meetings on the topic in December and has shared resources at https://albertabeef.org/proposed-traceability-amendments