Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has opened a consultation period on a proposal to revoke the maximum residue limit (MRL) for tebuconazole in grapes. The proposal seeks to lower the legal MRL for the fungicide from 5.0 ppm (parts per million) to Canada's general MRL (GMRL) of 0.1 ppm.

The GMRL would apply to all grapes entering the Canadian market.

PMRA will host a 75-day consultation period open until April 13, 2025, for stakeholders to respond to the proposal to revoke the MRL.

To comment, stakeholders should read the proposed decision, PMRL2025-02, and submit comments to PMRA Publications Section. Comments may be submitted electronically by consultation form, email, or mail.

This fungicide is used on various commodities, primarily on field crops. 

The PMRA identified human health risks associated with grape dietary exposure and consumption, so it decided to reduce the maximum residue limit on all imported grapes into the country. 

Canada's grape market

The Canadian grape market depends mainly on imports, as local production is very low. According to USDA data, Canada is the U.S.'s leading export destination, with 30% of exports destined to the neighboring country in 2023-24, valued at USD 236 million. 

The current U.S. tolerance for tebuconazole on grapes is 6 ppm.