Industrial cheese under CETA is defined in the CETA Agreement text’s Annex 2A Tariff elimination, paragraph 17 (d).
Industrial Cheese Tariff Rate Quota
17. (a) Originating goods in the following aggregate quantities and provided for in items with the notation “TRQ Industrial Cheese” in Canada’s Schedule to this Annex and listed in subparagraph (d) shall be duty-free in the years specified below:
| Year | Aggregate Annual Quantity (Metric Tonnes 6 ) |
| 1 | 283 |
| 2 | 567 |
| 3 | 850 |
| 4 | 1,133 |
| 5 | 1,417 |
| 6 and each subsequent year | 1,700 |
| Footnote 6 Â Expressed in net weight. |
(b) Canada shall administer this tariff rate quota either through an import licensing system as outlined in the Declaration on Tariff Rate Quota Administration or as otherwise agreed to between the Parties.
(c) Notwithstanding subparagraph (b), paragraphs 19 and 20 shall apply to this paragraph.
    (d) This paragraph applies to industrial cheese, which means cheese used as ingredients for further food processing (secondary manufacturing) imported in bulk (not for retail sale), classified in the following tariff lines:
    ex 0406.10.10, ex 0406.20.11, ex 0406.20.91, ex 0406.30.10, ex 0406.40.10, ex 0406.90.11, ex 0406.90.21, ex 0406.90.31, ex 0406.90.41, ex 0406.90.51, ex 0406.90.61, ex 0406.90.71, ex 0406.90.81, ex 0406.90.91, ex 0406.90.93, ex 0406.90.95, and ex 0406.90.98.
Allocation methodologies for the new cheese tariff rate quotas for cheese have yet to be determined. As such, applications are not currently being accepted. It is expected that the allocation methodologies will be published before the provisional application of CETA. Â The application process for allocations for the new CETA cheese TRQs will commence after the publication of the allocation methodologies.
The Trade Controls Policy Division keeps a list of parties that have shown interest in the additional access for cheese to be granted once CETA comes into force. It is expected this list will be used to contact these parties once the Notices to Importers, documents that details the Minister’s policies and practices with regard to administration of tariff rate quotas, become available on Global Affairs Canada’s website.
You may also wish visit the dairy products page on our website.