Which tariff line does a Canada importer declare for bulk shea butter?

Start from HS heading 1515.90. Canada extends that heading to the national line recorded on this page (Canadian Customs Tariff heading 1515.90). The importer, not the exporter's six-digit invoice code, confirms the full statistical number on the Canada tariff for the entry date.

Does Health Canada make a Nigerian factory register before selling shea butter into Canada?

Health Canada rules apply to the Canada responsible person or importer for finished cosmetics or food, as this guide states. A factory that only supplies bulk drums should not assume it must open a local portal account. Finished-product notification stays with the buyer in Canada.

Which documents travel with a Lagos container bound for Montreal?

EMI Agro issues the commercial invoice, packing list and a Certificate of Analysis per batch. The carrier issues the bill of lading. Nigerian export files (certificate of origin and Form NXP) travel with the shipment. Canada import filings — the customs declaration and any Health Canada notice — are the buyer's.

How long does a typical West Africa service take from Lagos to Montreal?

Ocean time to Montreal is shown on this page as a typical West Africa container range, not a booked schedule. Confirm the live ETD/ETA on the carrier tool when you book. Inland time from Montreal to a warehouse in Canada is extra.

Is shea butter duty-free in Canada?

Duty follows the vegetable-fat / oils-and-fats bracket on heading 1515.90 in Canada, plus VAT or GST where charged. Some markets (for example a Free general rate on a nut-oil line) publish a zero Column 1 rate; others do not. Read the tariff note on this page and confirm on the entry date. EMI Agro does not compute landed duty.

What language belongs on a Canada shea butter label?

English and French on consumer packs. Bulk industrial drums follow the language agreed on the contract. Finished consumer packs follow Health Canada labelling rules in Canada.

Import guide

How to Import Shea Butter into Canada

Tariff line, regulator, documents, transit from Lagos and clearance for Canada — every fact sourced and dated.

Shea butter enters Canada under HS heading 1515.90 — Canadian Customs Tariff heading 1515.90 in the national tariff — and is overseen by Health Canada Cosmetics Notification System for cosmetic use and CFIA for food use. To import it, confirm the tariff line and duty, check registration requirements with Health Canada, assemble the documents below, ship from Lagos to Montreal (20–32 days) and clear customs with CBSA.

Key facts for importing shea butter into Canada (sources and dates in References)

Customs authority: The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) takes the customs entry. Shea butter is declared under heading 1515.90 on the Canadian Customs Tariff.
Cosmetics authority: Health Canada Cosmetics Notification System — a cosmetic product must be notified before sale in Canada. Bulk shea as a raw material is not itself a notified cosmetic.
Food authority: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and CBSA share food-import controls. Edible shea butter is entered as a vegetable fat.
National tariff line: Canadian Customs Tariff heading 1515.90
Ports of discharge: Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax
Transit from Lagos: 20–50 days
Certification priority: HACCP, COSMOS, USDA NOP (Organic)
Labelling language: English and French on consumer packs
Specific to Canada: Health Canada is the named Canada authority on this page.
Specific to Canada (2): Lagos boxes for Canada are planned for Montreal (CAMTR).
Specific to Canada (3): Toronto is the named inland or port hub for Canada.

Nigerian shea butter for Canada

Shea is not grown in Canada. A formulator in Canada who wants bulk shea butter is buying a Nigerian or West African fat, not a domestic oilseed. Health Canada notification is bilingual; Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver split the coasts. EMI Agro works with 5,000+ women collectors in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi. Toronto buyers usually take the inland haul from Montreal.

Ask for a batch COA on a NIS 571:2013 basis: free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture, colour and melting point. Reject lots that smell sharply rancid or pour like liquid oil at room temperature. Health Canada filings sit with the Canada importer — they do not replace a COA.

Trial lots start at 5 tonnes; standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Send the request even if you need less — EMI Agro reviews every Canada enquiry against current production of 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Lead time is Ibadan production plus ocean time to Montreal. Quotes are EXW, FOB or CIF; each term prices different services beyond the butter.

What are you buying shea butter for in Canada?

Two questions. We show the grade, the documents that usually apply and the next step — we do not invent a price.

Use

Quantity

Step 1 — Classify & tariff

Shea butter is classified under HS heading 1515.90 worldwide; Canada extends it to the national line below.

Tariff classification for shea butter in Canada (sources and dates in References)
Item	Value	Source
HS heading	1515.90 — global	Harmonized System
National tariff line	Canadian Customs Tariff heading 1515.90 — other fixed vegetable fats and oils. Confirm the 8-digit Canadian line on the CBSA tariff.	cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
Duty and tax note	Canada's oils-and-fats MFN rate under 1515.90 is the starting point; GPT or other preference for Nigerian origin must be read on the tariff for the entry date.	cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
Preference scheme and proof of origin	GST and any provincial tax are extra.	cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

Canada's oils-and-fats MFN rate under 1515.90 is the starting point; GPT or other preference for Nigerian origin must be read on the tariff for the entry date. GST and any provincial tax are extra.

Why the first six digits are the same everywhere is explained in the exporting and importing shea butter guide.

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Step 2 — Regulatory registration
In Canada, cosmetic-grade shea butter falls under Health Canada; food-grade under the food authority.
The Cosmetic Regulations require a designated representative in Canada and notification of finished cosmetics. INCI names appear on consumer packs.
Food-use shea butter follows CFIA import requirements for fats and oils. The Canadian importer is the licence holder.
Finished cosmetics sold to Canadian consumers need bilingual (English and French) labelling.
Buyers in Canada most often ask for HACCP, COSMOS and USDA NOP (Organic); status is on our certifications page. See HACCP, COSMOS, USDA NOP (Organic) and our certifications page.

Step 3 — Required documents

The documents below are those Health Canada lists for a shea butter consignment; EMI Agro issues the ones marked as ours.

Documents for importing shea butter into Canada (sources and dates in References)
Document	Issued by	When
Commercial invoice	EMI Agro	At booking
Packing list	EMI Agro	At stuffing
Bill of lading	Carrier	On vessel departure
Certificate of Analysis (per batch)	EMI Agro	With shipping documents
Certificate of origin	Nigerian agency	Before shipment
Form NXP	Nigerian agency	Before shipment
CBSA customs coding form / ACI	Buyer / importer	Before arrival

Nigerian export-side documents are explained in how to import shea butter from Nigeria; the COA format is on the certificate of analysis page.

Step 4 — Shipping & Incoterms

EMI Agro loads at Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos) for Canada discharge at the ports below.

Typical sea transit from Lagos to Canada (port-to-port days; confirm on the booking)
Port	UN/LOCODE	Transit (days)	Schedules read on
Montreal	CAMTR	20–32	September 2026
Vancouver	CAVAN	35–50	September 2026
Halifax	CAHAL	20–32	September 2026

EXW: buyer arranges collection, freight and insurance from the factory.
FOB: EMI Agro delivers on board at the named Lagos port; buyer arranges ocean freight.
CIF: EMI Agro arranges freight and insurance to the named discharge port.

Container configuration is calculated separately — use the shea export container calculator and the container notes on the export overview.

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Step 5 — Customs clearance & inspection
Clearance in Canada is handled through Health Canada.
East Coast boxes usually discharge at Montreal or Halifax; West Coast at Vancouver. The importer's broker lodges the CBSA entry.

Working with EMI Agro

MOQ: Standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Trial lots start at 5 tonnes. Smaller volumes can still be requested — we review every enquiry against current production.
Lead time: Lead time is Ibadan production time plus ocean time to the named port. EMI Agro produces 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Exact weeks depend on the quantity on the purchase order.
Incoterms: EXW, FOB, CIF
Samples: Trial lots start at 5 tonnes of the named grade. Send the request even if you need less — we review whether we can supply.
Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos)

For Canada buyers our supplier page covers MOQ, price basis, packaging and lead time in detail. Shea butter supplier in Canada.

For commodity background see the complete guide to shea butter.

How to import shea butter into the United States

How to import shea butter into the European Union

How to import shea butter into Germany

How to import shea butter from Nigeria

Nigerian export-side procedure before the container sails.

Shea export container calculator

How many drums fit a container.

Exporting shea butter from Nigeria

HS heading, load ports and the country-guide hub.

Certificate of Analysis

How a batch COA is reported.

Frequently asked questions

References & standards

cbsa-asfc.gc.ca (accessed 13 September 2026)
canada.ca (accessed 13 September 2026)
inspection.canada.ca (accessed 13 September 2026)
cbsa-asfc.gc.ca (accessed 13 September 2026)
maersk.com (accessed 13 September 2026)

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.

Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria

Get an export quote for Canada

Tell us grade, volume and your port of discharge in Canada; we reply with pricing, the document set and a current COA.

You have just read How to Import Shea Butter into Canada. The next step is a real lot from the factory that produces it — EMI Agro, with factory-direct pricing and a batch Certificate of Analysis.

Trusted manufacturer
EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
Competitive factory-direct prices
Quoted EXW, FOB or CIF — the buyer chooses. You pay the factory, not a chain of middlemen.
Export-ready supply
We ship to European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, China, India, Middle East, Latin America. Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) or Tin Can Island (Lagos).
Documented lots
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.

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