The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced on Friday that the Dominican Republic has approved imports of beef from Canadian cattle of all ages, including offal, restoring Canada's access to the Dominican market for the first time since 2003.
The decision lifts restrictions the Dominican Republic imposed after detecting its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, ending a ban on Canadian beef products that had lasted more than two decades.
The reopening followed an audit of Canada's beef inspection system, carried out by technicians from the Dominican Republic's General Directorate of Medicines, Food and Health Products (Digemaps) and General Directorate of Livestock (Digega).
The CFIA said the evaluation confirmed the effectiveness of Canadian controls related to food safety, meat product inspection and animal health. As a result, Dominican authorities lifted the restrictions that had limited the entry of Canadian beef for more than two decades.
Canada currently holds a negligible risk classification for BSE under international animal health standards, according to the CFIA.
A Market Worth More Than $200 Million
The reopening represents an opportunity for Canadian exporters in a market with a substantial volume of beef imports.
According to data released by the Canadian Meat Council, the Dominican Republic imported approximately $215 million worth of beef and derived products in 2025.
So far, three Canadian beef processing establishments have been approved to export to the Dominican market.
Officials React to the Decision
Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald said the lifting of the restrictions would let Canadian producers and processors expand their commercial opportunities. He said Canadian beef producers deliver safe, high-quality products that are trusted around the world, and that the Dominican Republic is an important and growing market in the Americas. He added that reopening access creates new opportunities for Canadian farmers and processors to expand their reach, strengthen their operations and support jobs across Canada.
Kyle Larkin, president and chief executive of the Canadian Meat Council, said the organization had been working since 2023 to recover access to the Dominican market.
Larkin highlighted the participation of Dominican authorities in the audit of Canada's inspection system and said the approval would let Canadian processors compete again in the Dominican market.
Canadian Meat Council's Role
In a statement published on the CFIA's website, the Canadian Meat Council said it had advocated for this access since 2023 and was proud to host and fund the Dominican audit team during its visit to Canada to help make the approval possible. Without the audit, and ultimately the Dominican Republic's approval, the statement said, Canadian establishments would not have been able to export to the market.
The CFIA is Canada's federal regulator responsible for food safety, animal health and plant protection, and it certifies foreign access for Canadian food exporters.
The CFIA said audits conducted between Canada and its trading partners help maintain confidence in food safety systems and facilitate stable trade between countries.
