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Export and Import Permits Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. E-19)

Act current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2021-04-01. Previous Versions

Permits and Certificates (continued)

Marginal note:Inspectors

 The Minister may designate as an inspector any person who, in the Minister’s opinion, is qualified to be so designated.

  • 2006, c. 13, s. 114

Marginal note:Inspection

  •  (1) An inspector may, at all reasonable times, for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act, inspect, audit or examine the records of any person or organization that has applied for a permit, an import allocation, an export allocation, a certificate or another authorization under this Act in order to determine whether that or any other person or organization is in compliance with this Act.

  • Marginal note:Powers of inspector

    (2) For the purposes of an inspection, audit or examination, an inspector may

    • (a) enter any place in which the inspector reasonably believes the person or organization keeps records or carries on any activity to which this Act applies; and

    • (b) require any individual to be present during the inspection, audit or examination and require that individual to answer all proper questions and to give to the inspector all reasonable assistance.

  • Marginal note:Prior authorization

    (3) If any place referred to in paragraph (2)(a) is a dwelling-house, an inspector may not enter that dwelling-house without the consent of the occupant, except under the authority of a warrant issued under subsection (4).

  • Marginal note:Warrant to enter dwelling-house

    (4) A judge may issue a warrant authorizing an inspector to enter a dwelling-house subject to the conditions specified in the warrant if, on ex parte application by the inspector, a judge is satisfied by information on oath that

    • (a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the dwelling-house is a place referred to in paragraph (2)(a);

    • (b) entry into the dwelling-house is necessary for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act; and

    • (c) entry into the dwelling-house has been, or there are reasonable grounds to believe that entry will be, refused.

  • Marginal note:Orders if entry not authorized

    (5) If the judge is not satisfied that entry into the dwelling-house is necessary for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act, the judge may, to the extent that access was or may be expected to be refused and that a record is or may be expected to be kept in the dwelling-house,

    • (a) order the occupant of the dwelling-house to provide the inspector with reasonable access to any record that is or should be kept in the dwelling-house; and

    • (b) make any other order that is appropriate in the circumstances to carry out the purposes of this Act.

  • Marginal note:Copies of records

    (6) When an inspector inspects, audits, examines or is provided a record under this section, the inspector may make, or cause to be made, one or more copies of the record.

Marginal note:Keeping records

  •  (1) Every person or organization that applies for a permit, import allocation, export allocation, certificate or other authorization under this Act shall keep all records that are necessary to determine whether they have complied with this Act.

  • Marginal note:Minister may specify information

    (2) The Minister may specify in writing the form that a record is to take and any information that the record must contain.

  • Marginal note:Language and location of record

    (3) Unless otherwise authorized by the Minister, a record shall be kept in Canada in English or French.

  • Marginal note:Electronic records

    (4) Every person or organization that is required to keep a record and that does so electronically shall ensure that all equipment and software necessary to make the record intelligible are available during the retention period required for the record.

  • Marginal note:Inadequate records

    (5) If a person or organization fails to keep adequate records for the purposes of this Act, the Minister may, in writing, require them to keep any records that the Minister may specify, and they shall keep the records specified by the Minister.

  • Marginal note:General period for retention

    (6) Every person or organization that is required to keep records shall retain them until the expiry of six years after the end of the year to which they relate or for any other period that may be prescribed by regulation.

  • Marginal note:Demand by Minister

    (7) If the Minister is of the opinion that it is necessary for the administration or enforcement of this Act, the Minister may, by a demand served personally or sent by mail, require any person or organization that is required to keep records to retain those records for any period that is specified in the demand, and the person or organization shall comply with the demand.

  • Marginal note:Permission for earlier disposal

    (8) A person or organization that is required to keep records may dispose of them before the expiry of the period during which they are required to be kept if written permission for their disposal is given by the Minister.

  • Marginal note:For greater certainty — firearms

    (9) For greater certainty, this section applies in respect of a firearm only if the firearm is included in the Export Control List, Brokering Control List or Import Control List and it is the subject of an application for a permit, certificate or other authorization under this Act.

Marginal note:Other lawful obligations not affected by permit, etc.

 A permit, certificate or other authorization issued or granted under this Act does not affect the obligation of any person to obtain any licence, permit or certificate to export or import that may be required under this or any other law or to pay any tax, duty, toll, impost or other sum required by any law to be paid in respect of the exportation or transfer of goods or technology or the importation of goods.

  • R.S., 1985, c. E-19, s. 11
  • 2004, c. 15, s. 57

Regulations

Marginal note:Regulations

 The Governor in Council may make regulations

  • (a) prescribing the information, certificates issued by a third party attesting to a softwood sawlog’s origin and undertakings to be furnished by applicants for permits, import allocations, export allocations, certificates or other authorizations under this Act, the procedure to be followed in applying for and issuing or granting permits, import allocations, export allocations, certificates or other authorizations, the duration of them, and the terms and conditions, including those with reference to shipping or other documents, on which permits, import allocations, export allocations, certificates or other authorizations may be issued or granted under this Act;

  • (a.1) respecting the considerations that the Minister must take into account when deciding whether to issue an import allocation or export allocation or consent to its transfer;

  • (a.2) specifying, for the purposes of subsection 7.3(2), considerations that the Minister shall take into consideration when deciding whether to issue an export permit under subsection 7(1) in respect of goods or technology included in the Export Control List;

  • (a.3) specifying, for the purposes of subsection 7.3(2), considerations that the Minister shall take into consideration when deciding whether to issue a brokering permit under subsection 7.1(1) in respect of goods or technology included in a Brokering Control List;

  • (b) respecting information to be supplied by persons and organizations that have been issued or granted permits, import allocations, export allocations, certificates or other authorizations under this Act and any other matter associated with their use;

  • (b.1) respecting information to be supplied to specified persons or specified government entities, including foreign government entities, by persons who export goods expressly excluded from the Export Control List;

  • (c) respecting the issue of, and conditions or requirements applicable to, general permits or general certificates;

  • (c.01) respecting export charges referred to in subsection 6.2(5);

  • (c.02) respecting the considerations that the Minister must take into account when deciding whether to issue a certificate under section 9.2;

  • (c.1) providing for considerations to be taken into account by the Minister in the issuance of certificates under section 9.1;

  • (c.2) defining “origin” for the purposes of this Act or any provision thereof;

  • (c.3) respecting the application, for the purposes of this Act or any provision thereof, of any regulations made under the Customs Tariff respecting the origin of goods;

  • (d) respecting the certification, authorization or other control of any in-transit movement through any port or place of any goods or technology that is exported or transferred from Canada or of any goods that come into any port or place in Canada;

  • (e) exempting any person or organization, any goods or technology or any class of persons or organizations, goods or technology from the operation of any or all of the provisions of this Act;

  • (e.1) specifying activities or classes of activities that do not constitute brokering for the purposes this Act; and

  • (f) generally, for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.

  • R.S., 1985, c. E-19, s. 12
  • 1988, c. 65, s. 123
  • 1993, c. 44, s. 154
  • 1994, c. 47, s. 112
  • 1999, c. 31, s. 90
  • 2004, c. 15, s. 58
  • 2006, c. 13, s. 115
  • 2018, c. 26, s. 12
  • 2020, c. 1, s. 46

Prohibitions

Marginal note:Export or attempt to export

 No person shall export or transfer, or attempt to export or transfer, any goods or technology included in an Export Control List or any goods or technology to any country included in an Area Control List except under the authority of and in accordance with an export permit issued under this Act.

  • R.S., 1985, c. E-19, s. 13
  • 2004, c. 15, s. 59

Marginal note:Import or attempt to import

 No person shall import or attempt to import any goods included in an Import Control List except under the authority of and in accordance with an import permit issued under this Act.

  • R.S., c. E-17, s. 14

Marginal note:Exception

 A person does not contravene section 13 or 14 if, at the time of exportation or importation, the person would have exported or imported the goods under the authority of and in accordance with an export permit or an import permit issued under this Act had they applied for it, and if, after the exportation or importation, the permit is issued.

  • 2006, c. 13, s. 116

Marginal note:Broker or attempt to broker

  •  (1) No person or organization shall broker, or attempt to broker, except under the authority of and in accordance with a brokering permit issued under this Act.

  • Marginal note:Exception

    (2) A person or organization does not contravene subsection (1) if, at the time of the alleged contravention, they would have brokered under the authority of and in accordance with a brokering permit issued under this Act had they applied for it, and if, after the alleged contravention, the permit is issued.

  • Marginal note:Act or omission outside Canada

    (3) Every person or organization that commits an act or omission outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute a contravention of subsection (1) — or a conspiracy to commit, an attempt to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or any counselling in relation to, such a contravention — is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada if they are

    • (a) a Canadian citizen;

    • (b) a permanent resident as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act who, after the commission of the act or omission, is present in Canada; or

    • (c) an organization that is incorporated, formed or otherwise organized under the laws of Canada or a province.

  • Marginal note:Jurisdiction

    (4) If a person or organization is alleged to have committed an act or omission that is deemed to have been committed in Canada under subsection (3), proceedings for an offence in respect of that act or omission may, whether or not they are in Canada, be commenced in any territorial division in Canada. The person or organization may be tried and punished for that offence as if the offence had been committed in that territorial division.

  • Marginal note:Appearance at trial

    (5) For greater certainty, the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to the requirements that a person or organization appear at and be present during proceedings and the exceptions to those requirements apply to proceedings commenced in any territorial division under subsection (4).

  • Marginal note:Previously tried outside Canada

    (6) If a person or organization is alleged to have committed an act or omission that is deemed to have been committed in Canada under subsection (3) and they have been tried and dealt with outside Canada for an offence in respect of the act or omission so that, if they had been tried and dealt with in Canada, they would be able to plead autrefois acquit, autrefois convict or pardon, they are deemed to have been so tried and dealt with in Canada.

  • Marginal note:Exception for foreign trials in absentia

    (7) Despite subsection (6), a person or organization may not plead autrefois convict to a count that charges an offence in respect of the act or omission if

    • (a) the person or organization was not present and was not represented by counsel acting under the person or organization’s instructions at the trial outside Canada; and

    • (b) the person or organization was not punished in accordance with the sentence imposed on conviction in respect of the act or omission.

Marginal note:Diversion, etc.

  •  (1) Subject to subsection (2), and except with the authority in writing of the Minister, no person shall knowingly do anything in Canada that causes or assists or is intended to cause or assist any shipment, transhipment, diversion or transfer of any goods or technology included in an Export Control List to be made, from Canada or any other place, to any country included in an Area Control List.

  • Marginal note:Diversion, etc., of automatic firearms

    (2) No person shall knowingly do anything in Canada that causes or assists or is intended to cause or assist any shipment, transhipment or diversion of any thing referred to in any of paragraphs 4.1(a) to (c), or any component or part designed exclusively for assembly into such a thing, that is included in an Export Control List, from Canada or any other place, to any country that is not included in an Automatic Firearms Country Control List.

  • R.S., 1985, c. E-19, s. 15
  • 1991, c. 28, s. 4
  • 1995, c. 39, s. 173
  • 2004, c. 15, s. 60

Marginal note:No transfer or unauthorized use of permits

 No person or organization that is authorized under a permit issued under this Act to export or transfer goods or technology, to import goods or to broker shall transfer the permit to, or allow it to be used by, a person or organization that is not so authorized.

 

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