Export documentation

The Canadian Grain Commission sets and maintains quality standards for Canadian grain based on scientific research. These standards are used throughout Canada’s grain handling system so that grain quality is maintained from farm to port.

Under the Canada Grain Act and Canada Grain Regulations, we ensure that grain produced in Canada is a dependable commodity for domestic and export markets. We inspect and monitor cargo shipments and provide the data to the terminal elevator handling the grain at the time of loading.

We provide the following export documents to the primary trade execution group (which could be the exporter, shipper, broker or grain company):

• an inspection certificate called the Certificate Final, which is mandatory for all international vessel shipments
• letters of analysis, which are optional documents available for a fee
• the statement of assurance, which is an optional document available for a fee

Certificate Final

Certificate Final example

When grain is loaded for export at terminal elevators, our grain inspectors ensure each shipment meets Canada’s standards for quality and specifications identified by the exporter. If the grain loaded meets contractual specifications, we will provide the trade execution group with a Certificate Final once the inspection is complete, which:

• shows official grade and weight
• can include additional information to certify that the shipment meets contract specifications for quality factors other than grading factors, such as protein content

The Certificate Final is Canada’s official assurance to export markets that, at the time of the grain vessel’s departure, the grain loaded has met requirements for a certain class, grade and other quality specifications. It provides an impartial assessment that ensures the dependability of the grain for the international customer.

The Certificate Final may be used in different ways, including:

• as a transactional receipt for terminal elevators
• to facilitate the sale of grain for buyers and sellers
• as proof of shipment for insurers and bankers
• to facilitate market access for importers

The Certificate Final is issued to the identified primary trade execution group to include with their shipping documents. A Certificate Final is not required for domestic shipments or shipments to the United States.

A Certificate Final is required for cargo disputes. If you have a cargo complaint, please contact us for more information.

Letters of analysis

Canadian grain exporters may request letters of analysis to receive analytical testing results for a specific grain cargo. There is a fee for this optional service. To produce a letter of analysis, a Canadian Grain Commission inspector collects an official sample, which is then tested at a Canadian Grain Commission laboratory using a variety of analytical methods.

The letter of analysis is available for a wide range of science-based analyses and tests, such as certain milling quality or specific grading factors. Some examples include:

• Falling Number
• protein content
• DON
• mycotoxins
• Fusarium Head Blight (FHB)
• foreign material

Statement of assurance

Canadian exporters may request a statement of assurance, which provides commodity-specific summary monitoring statistics that demonstrate quality and safety trends in Canadian grain exports. Available for any grain exported in bulk, this document provides a summary on cargoes shipped in a crop year using data from the Canadian Grain Commission’s monitoring of export cargoes. There is a fee for this optional service.

The statement of assurance, which is not cargo specific, includes information found from monitoring previous export shipments of specific grain. Some examples of information this document would include are:

• specific chemical residues
• trace elements
• a genetically modified event