You can bring mangoes from the Philippines into Canada if you declare the fruit at customs, declare it as processed, or leave the original tag on it.
Although mango importation into Canada isn’t accepted for various reasons, following some of the steps in this article might guarantee a safe passage for your sweet fruits.
So, keep reading to find out how you can bring a mango into Canada from the Philippines, what mistakes to avoid, and some reasons why Canada doesn’t allow general mango import.
How to Bring Mangoes From the Philippines to Canada?
Here are some ways to legally bring mangoes into Canada from the Philippines.
Declare the Mangoes at Customs
Whenever you want to travel with your mangoes, inform the customs authority of your airline. That’s because there are various rules/guidelines associated with traveling with fruits or vegetables.
For example, you aren’t allowed to travel to Canada with more than 20kg of processed fruit.
Informing the customs officers of your intention beforehand allows them to explain some of these procedures to you, and help you navigate obstacles.
Declare Fruit as Processed, Not Fresh
You can easily transport your mango into Canada by air if you declare it as processed (and it is). Otherwise, there’s a high chance it won’t clear customs.
Leave Original Packaging Intact
Original fruit packs/packaging would also help you transport mangoes into Canada easily.
The packaging is an indication to the port authority that whatever registered company packaged that mango has sorted, washed, and removed all possible diseased or pest-infested mangoes before selling.
Leave Original Tags On, if Any
Fruit tags can also help you easily transport your mango.
Although the original tag might serve as a PLU (Product Look Up) for the cashier, it would help the customs officer understand that the mango has undergone the due process. Since it was certified safe for marketing, it could be allowed on the flight.
Mistakes to Avoid When Taking Mangoes into Canada
Below are some mistakes to avoid when traveling with a mango in Canada.
Hiding the Mango
Never hide your mango when transporting it.
Declaring the mango means customs officers may trash the fruit if it doesn’t pass a quality check, but you’ll still be allowed on the flight. However, if you hide it and get caught, you may be charged with smuggling.
Declaring It Wrongly
Ensure you declare the mango as it is packed. Don’t declare your mango as processed when it’s still whole. Likewise, don’t declare it as company-packaged when it’s in a paper bag or any other packaging.
Not Declaring the Total Package/Weight
Always declare the total package or package weight. As Canadian and airline law states, you aren’t allowed more than 20kg or 20L of processed fruit. If you have more than that, it might be reduced to the given weight or taken away from you.
Why Won’t Canada Allow You to Bring Mangoes In?
There are several reasons why countries like Canada won’t allow you to bring in mangoes or fruits into the country. Some of these reasons are:
Prevent the Introduction of New Pests and Diseases
Canada’s customs officers won’t allow you to bring in mangoes so they won’t have their mango farms infested with new breeds of the fruit’s pests or diseases they’ve never encountered.
Since there’s no means to predict what form these pests or pathogens might take, restriction laws on importing the fruit are the only logical solution.
Encourage Local Sale
The sales of farm produce in farmers’ markets is a means to improve local production and the GDP of Canada.
In order to make local sales possible, bans/restrictions on importation would make citizen farmers sell more of their produce rather than getting into a sales competition with importers or alien salespeople.
Discourage Mini-Imports
The restriction placed on the importation of mango into Canada has helped prevent or discourage mini-imports in the retail/wholesale sector of the business. In this case, buyers have no other choice than to patronize the local farmers.
Final Thoughts
Mango and other fruits/vegetables are accepted and grown almost everywhere, but pests and diseases make transporting them an issue.
If you don’t want to go through all this stress, it would be better to get to your destination and find a grocery store or farmers market that sells mangoes, buy them, and savor the fruit.
