Access to the Canadian Market

Putting electrical products into use in Canada is regulated at the provincial level and requires approval from a recognized certification body. For radio equipment, ISED certification applies at the federal level. Standards largely overlap with the US, but there are national deviations.

• Thanks to standards shared with the United States, a single test programme can serve both markets together; the standards of both countries are written separately within the scope of the certificate.
• The accepted evidence in electrical safety is the certificate and mark of a certification body accredited in the country; a certificate obtained in another country is not sufficient on its own.
• A CB Scheme report reduces test repetition; the national differences section is met separately.
• On the radio side, testing must be carried out in a recognised laboratory and registration must run through a representative established in the country.
• The bilingual information requirement cannot be substituted by any report or certificate; labels and manuals are checked separately before shipment.

• Electrical products require certification accepted by the provincial electrical authority
• Marks such as CSA, cUL and cETL provide this acceptance; the 'c' prefix indicates Canadian scope
• Radio equipment is subject to ISED certification and a technical acceptance number
• Bilingual (English and French) labelling and user information is expected
• Language requirements in Quebec are separately regulated
• US standards are mostly shared, but national deviations must be additionally met

There is no general authorised representative requirement in Canada; however, for radio equipment certification, a Canada-based representative with ISED is expected. For medical devices, a Health Canada licence and a resident representative are required. For other products, responsibility lies with the importer placing the product on the market.

• CSA
• ISED

1. 01Scope DeterminationIt is determined which legislation and marking scope the product falls under in the target market. This step defines the entire process; getting it wrong wastes all subsequent work.
2. 02Determining Applicable StandardsThe standards accepted by the market and any national deviations are identified. The same IEC standard may apply with different deviations in different markets.
3. 03Establishing the Test PlanIt is assessed which part of existing test reports will be accepted; missing tests are planned. A CB Scheme report, if available, reduces retesting.
4. 04Local Party and RegistrationIf the market requires an established representative, importer or applicant, this party is designated and the necessary registrations are made.
5. 05Tests and Technical FileTests are conducted and the technical file is prepared. Some markets require testing to be performed within their own country.
6. 06Certification or DeclarationDepending on the market's regime, a manufacturer's declaration is drawn up or a certificate is obtained from the authorised body; a factory audit is carried out if required.
7. 07Marking and LabellingThe mark and label are applied according to the market's format and language rules. The language requirement is checked at customs in most markets.
8. 08Shipment and CustomsIf a pre-shipment document is required, it is obtained; the document set to be presented at customs is completed.

• Labels and usage information are expected to be in English and French
• The certification body's mark and file number appear on the product
• The ISED certification number (IC number) is marked on radio equipment
• Country of origin declaration is a customs requirement
• Packaged consumer products require metric units and a bilingual quantity declaration

• Assuming a US-scope-only listing (without the 'c' prefix) is sufficient for Canada
• Not preparing French labels and instructions
• Confusing ISED certification with FCC; the two are separate regimes
• Overlooking national deviations