Commodity Guide · Air Freight

Cut Flowers

CFIA's own directive for cut flowers is distinct from the one covering fresh produce — and this is the single biggest CPTPP savings story after garments.

Get a Cut Flowers Rate

HS 06

Live plants & cut flowers chapter

16

CPTPP-eligible codes on this page

16%

Highest MFN rate — fresh cymbidium orchids

D-14-03

Governing CFIA phytosanitary directive

CFIA Directive D-14-03

Cut flowers need a Permit to Import and a Phytosanitary Certificate from every ASEAN/India origin on this corridor

CFIA Directive D-14-03 governs fresh and dried branches, cut flowers, and other ornamental plant parts. For any origin other than the continental United States — every origin on this corridor — both a Permit to Import and a Phytosanitary Certificate are required, and the material must be free of soil, growing media, and quarantine pests. This is a distinct directive from the ones covering fresh produce, not the same paperwork reused.

Source: CFIA Directive D-14-03. Last verified July 2026.

Relevant HS Codes

HS CodeDescriptionMFNCPTPPNote
0601.10.11Narcissus bulbs, dormant, not for florists/nursery forcing6%FreeCPTPP savings opportunity
0601.10.19Other dormant bulbs (e.g., tulip)FreeFree
0601.10.21Crowns of rhubarb/asparagus; tuberous roots of cannas, dahlias, paeonias; florist/nursery forcing stockFreeFree
0601.10.29Other dormant tubers, tuberous roots, corms, crowns, rhizomes6%FreeCPTPP savings opportunity
0601.20.10Chicory plants/roots; florist/nursery forcing stock in growth or flowerFreeFree
0601.20.90Other bulbs/tubers/rhizomes in growth or flower6%FreeCPTPP savings opportunity
0602.10Unrooted cuttings and slipsFreeFree
0602.30Rhododendrons and azaleas, grafted or notFreeFree

Source: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2026/html/00/ch06-eng.html

CPTPP savings on this lane

0601.10.11

Narcissus bulbs, dormant, not for florists/nursery forcing

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0601.10.29

Other dormant tubers, tuberous roots, corms, crowns, rhizomes

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0601.20.90

Other bulbs/tubers/rhizomes in growth or flower

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0602.40.10

Multiflora rosebushes, grafted or not

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0602.90.90

Other live plants

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0603.11

Fresh roses

MFN 10.5%CPTPP Free

0603.12

Fresh carnations

MFN 8%CPTPP Free

0603.13.10

Fresh cymbidium orchids

MFN 16%CPTPP Free

0603.13.90

Other fresh orchids

MFN 12.5%CPTPP Free

0603.14

Fresh chrysanthemums

MFN 8%CPTPP Free

0603.15

Fresh lilies (Lilium spp.)

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0603.19

Other fresh cut flowers and buds

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0603.90.10

Gypsophila, dyed/bleached/impregnated

MFN 6.5%CPTPP Free

0603.90.20

Other gypsophila

MFN 8%CPTPP Free

0604.20.90

Other fresh foliage/branches

MFN 6%CPTPP Free

0604.90.90

Other prepared foliage/branches

MFN 8%CPTPP Free

Canadian Import Process

Confirm Permit to Import

Confirm the Permit to Import is in hand before booking — required for every origin on this corridor.

Phytosanitary Certificate

Confirm the origin-side Phytosanitary Certificate is arranged, and that material is free of soil, growing media, and quarantine pests.

CPTPP eligibility check

Confirm origin eligibility for the dutiable lines — CPTPP savings run as high as 16% on fresh cymbidium orchids.

CBSA examination

Goods clear against the commercial invoice, Permit to Import, and Phytosanitary Certificate.

Customs release

Shipment released to the importer at the CPTPP rate (if claimed and documented) or the standard MFN rate.

Worked example

40kg of fresh cymbidium orchids, Bangkok to Toronto

A 40kg shipment of fresh cymbidium orchids (HS 0603.13.10) needs to move from BKK to YYZ. The fastest confirmed routing on that pair today is Korean Air Cargo through ICN, at 1-2 business days.

Before booking, UAL confirms the Permit to Import and Phytosanitary Certificate are both in hand — required for this shipment regardless of duty treatment, since Thailand isn't the continental US.

HS 0603.13.10 carries a 16% MFN rate — the highest in this HS chapter — that CPTPP brings to zero, a real and substantial saving on a time-critical, high-value shipment. On arrival, CBSA clears against the commercial invoice, the permit, and the phytosanitary certificate.

Why ship cut flowers through UAL

Permit and phytosanitary checked before booking

We confirm the Permit to Import and Phytosanitary Certificate are both arranged before tender — flagged against CFIA Directive D-14-03 specifically, not a generic plant-import checklist.

Time-critical, handled that way

Cut flowers are as perishable and time-sensitive as any commodity on this network. We route via whichever carrier has the transit time a florist's delivery window actually needs.

Real CPTPP savings, claimed correctly

This category carries some of the largest percentage savings on the whole site — we confirm origin eligibility properly before claiming it, rather than assuming every shipment qualifies.

Frequently asked questions

No — cut flowers fall under CFIA Directive D-14-03, a separate directive from the ones covering fresh fruit and vegetables. Don't assume produce paperwork covers a cut flower shipment.

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Cut Flowers · 25 HS codes · CPTPP savings on 16 codes

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