CEPA section 71 screening for Canadian importers
Lading tells you, in writing, whether the 2026 chemical reporting notices under section 71 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act require your company to respond.
We review your suppliers' safety data sheets and composition data, match them against the 200 listed substances and calculate your 2025 quantities. If you are not covered, we prepare your Declaration of Non-Engagement.
Phase 1 responses are due March 3, 2027.
Phase 2 is due September 8, 2027.
Who it's for
Canadian importers of record who bring in finished goods, in particular importers of:
- Foam furniture and mattresses
- Vinyl flooring and other vinyl goods
- Leather footwear, clothing and furniture
- Textiles and bedding
The notices also apply to importers of chemicals and mixtures.
The threshold
You may have to respond if, in 2025, your company imported more than 100 kg of a listed substance (1,000 kg for some substances, including most of the listed dyes), counted across all your imports, in goods where the substance is present at 0.1% or more. The threshold is the weight of the chemical itself, not of your products. There is no small-business exemption.
Services and prices
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Free self-check
FreeA few questions about what you import, with an indicative answer in a few minutes. No sign-up.
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Coverage Screening
$750, fixedWe request and review your suppliers' safety data sheets and composition data, match CAS numbers against the 200 listed substances and calculate your 2025 quantities against the thresholds. You receive a written determination: covered or not, and why.
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Declaration of Non-Engagement
IncludedIf the screening shows you are not covered, we prepare the declaration for you to submit.
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Full Phase 1 submission
Quoted after screeningIf you are covered, we prepare your response from the screening results. An independent regulatory consultant reviews it before it is submitted.
Prices are in Canadian dollars.
How it works
Tell us what you import.
Send your 2025 import list (product lines, quantities, suppliers) and any safety data sheets you already have. A spreadsheet or your customs entries are fine.
We screen it.
We ask your suppliers for what is missing, match every substance against the list and calculate your 2025 quantities. You receive a written determination.
You file what is needed.
Not covered: we prepare your Declaration of Non-Engagement. Covered, or a complex case: we quote the submission, and an independent regulatory consultant reviews it before it is filed.
Frequently asked questions
Does the notice apply to us?
Possibly, if you imported goods in the categories above in 2025. Most importers do not know the chemical make-up of their goods, so the answer usually depends on supplier data. The self-check gives a first indication; the screening gives you a written answer.
What if we are not covered?
Nothing is mandatory. We prepare a voluntary Declaration of Non-Engagement, and your written determination records why you are not covered.
Who does the work?
Lading does the screening in-house: the supplier data review, CAS matching, quantity calculation and Declaration of Non-Engagement. For clients who are covered or have complex cases, an independent regulatory consultant reviews the filing.
What if we do not respond?
Not responding to a section 71 notice when required is an offence under CEPA: first-offence fines go up to $250,000 for a small business and $500,000 for a larger company (s. 272.1).
Can we get more time?
Extensions must be requested in writing before the deadline, by email to substances@ec.gc.ca.
Contact
Tell us what you import. We will tell you plainly whether a screening is worth it.
- yd@lading.ca
- Phone
- 437-232-1737
- Address
- 300 Adelaide St. W
Toronto, ON M5V 1R1