Canada’s flaxseed exporters will see a longstanding trade barrier removed May 1, when the sampling and testing protocol for Canadian flaxseed shipped to the European Union is officially terminated, the federal government announced Friday.
The protocol had been in place since 2009, after trace amounts of CDC Triffid, an unauthorized genetically modified flaxseed variety, were detected in a Europe-bound shipment. The discovery led to a temporary halt in exports and prompted Agriculture Canada, the Canadian Grain Commission, industry partners and the EU to develop a testing system that allowed trade to resume.
Although the protocol kept exports moving, it also added costs and administrative burdens for Canadian flaxseed farmers and exporters, putting them at a disadvantage compared with competitors, said a federal release. After years of testing showed no detections of CDC Triffid, Canada formally requested in 2024 that the protocol be discontinued. The EU has now accepted that request.
Agriculture Canada said the decision recognizes the safety, reliability and quality of Canadian agricultural exports and reflects the strength of the Canada-EU trade relationship.
CDC Triffid was approved as safe for food, feed and environmental release in Canada and the U.S., but was deregistered in Canada in 2001 at the request of the registrant. The variety was never authorized in the EU, making the 2009 issue a matter of regulatory compliance rather than food or environmental safety.
Since June 2013, the Canadian Grain Commission has maintained testing data for flaxseed shipments to the EU and has not received a positive laboratory result for a bin sample in 13 years.
Canada seeded about 620,200 acres of flaxseed in 2025, producing 454,461 tonnes. The country exported $229.7 million worth of flaxseed that year, including $73.6 million to the EU.
Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald said expanding trade with Europe will create more opportunities for Canadian farmers and processors while supporting economic growth.
