How exporters can benefit from Canada’s trade agreements with Peru

• The Canada–Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)
• The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

These agreements help level the playing field for Canadian exporters by:

• reducing or eliminating tariffs
• streamlining border processes
• opening procurement opportunities
• improving investment protections

Canadian exporters can benefit in several ways, including:

• reduced or eliminated import tariffs on eligible goods
• improved market access through more transparent rules and fewer trade barriers
• simplified procedures for temporary business travel and service delivery
• access to Peru’s government procurement market
• improved legal protections for Canadian investments
• opportunities in digital trade and e-commerce

Peru also has its own network of FTAs with 16 other countries. Exporters can benefit indirectly from those FTAs by sourcing inputs or setting up operations in Peru.

To access lower or zero tariffs under these agreements, exporters must proceed with the following steps. 

1. Identify your product’s tariff classification

Use the Canada Tariff Finder to determine the Harmonized System (HS) code for your product and see how it’s treated under both the CPFTA and CPTPP. This tool can help you forecast costs and make informed pricing decisions.

2. Confirm your product meets the rules of origin

Each agreement includes rules that determine whether a product qualifies as “originating” and can receive preferential treatment. These rules allow for some use of non-Canadian materials but specify limits and transformation requirements.

If your product is complex or contains inputs from multiple countries, you should consult a customs broker or freight forwarder to verify compliance.

3. Prepare a certificate of origin

Both agreements allow for self-certification:

• Under the CPFTA, only the exporter may issue the certificate.
• Under the CPTPP, the exporter, importer, or producer may complete the certificate.

Certificates can appear on commercial documents like invoices and may be submitted electronically. Regardless of the format, they must include the data elements specified in the agreement. The certifier must keep supporting documentation for five years.

Before shipping products, Canadian exporters must ensure they comply with Peru’s sanitary, labelling, and safety regulations.

Key requirements:

• Food products must be registered with DIGESA (Peru’s equivalent of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency).
• Labelling in Spanish is mandatory, including importer contact, country of origin, expiration date, and storage instructions.
• Nutritional warning labels are required on foods high in salt, sugar, trans fats, or saturated fats.
• Agricultural and animal products must comply with SENASA (Peru’s food safety authority).
• Medical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products must be registered with DIGEMID, Peru’s authority on drugs and devices. Registration can take 6 to 12 months and must be submitted by a local agent.

Both the CPFTA and CPTPP include provisions that facilitate the temporary entry of Canadian businesspeople under categories such as:

• business visitors
• traders and investors
• intra-company transferees
• professionals and technicians

The agreements define:

• terms of entry
• duration of stay
• occupational classifications (for example, positive and negative lists under CPTPP Annexes and CPFTA Appendix 1203)