Canadian beef regains access to Dominican Republic after 23 years
The Dominican Republic has approved Canadian beef imports from cattle of all ages, restoring access that had been restricted since 2003.
Illustrative cattle pasture; location not specified. Photo: Priscilla Du Preez / Unsplash.
The Dominican Republic has approved imports of Canadian beef and beef products from cattle of all ages, restoring access to the market for the first time since 2003.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced the decision September 11. Dominican authorities restricted Canadian beef after Canada’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as BSE, 23 years ago.
Three Canadian plants approved
The market reopened after Dominican food and livestock authorities audited Canada’s beef inspection, food-safety and animal-health controls. The federal agency says three Canadian processing facilities are currently approved to export there.
The Dominican Republic imported about $215 million in beef and beef products from all countries in 2025, according to figures in the Canadian announcement. The new access allows approved Canadian processors to compete for that business; it is not a guarantee of a particular export volume or sales value.
Canada currently holds the World Organisation for Animal Health’s negligible-risk status for BSE. Exporters must still follow the destination’s specific certification and product requirements.
Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, published September 11, 2026.
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