AWLAD is a Canadian grain trading house operating from Regina, Saskatchewan. Our work moves food and feed commodities — wheat, durum, barley, pulses, oats, oilseeds — from Prairie origin to buyers across MENA, Asia and Europe. Grain trade is governed by an interlocking set of Canadian statutes and international standards, and the integrity of every shipment depends on adhering to them at origin, on inland transport, at port, and on arrival.
The statement below describes the frameworks AWLAD aligns its operations to. It is not a substitute for due diligence: license certificates, surveyor reports and counterparty references are available on written request to docs@awladlogistics.com.
Canadian Regulatory Framework
Grain leaving Canada passes through a regulatory pipeline that begins at the elevator and ends at the bill of lading. AWLAD's operating procedures are designed to comply with each link.
| Authority | Scope |
|---|---|
| Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) | Grain quality, official grading, inward and outward inspection at terminal elevators, and the licensing regime for grain dealers under the Canada Grain Act. |
| Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) | Phytosanitary certification, plant health, food safety inspections, and issuance of export certificates required by destination markets. |
| Safe Food for Canadians Act & Regulations (SFCR) | Preventive controls, traceability records, and licensing for those who manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, package or label food for export. |
| Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) | Export declarations under the Customs Act, B13A and CERS reporting where applicable, and permit verification on controlled goods. |
| Global Affairs Canada | Export permits and the Export Control List under the Export and Import Permits Act; sanctions regulations under SEMA and JCMR. |
| Transport Canada · Marine | Vessel safety, dangerous-goods classification where relevant, and port-state oversight at Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Thunder Bay. |
Counterparty Due Diligence & KYC
No cargo is loaded for a counterparty who has not cleared our onboarding file. The intake is proportionate to the size and complexity of the transaction.
- Identity & standing. Certificate of incorporation or equivalent, beneficial-ownership disclosure to a 25% threshold, and confirmation of authorised signatories for the contract and the letter of credit.
- Sanctions & PEP screening. Names and entities are checked against the Canadian Consolidated Autonomous Sanctions List, UN Security Council sanctions, OFAC and EU lists, and politically-exposed-persons databases. Hits are reviewed; trading is declined where Canadian law prohibits the dealing.
- Bank & route. Confirmation of the issuing bank, the advising or confirming bank, and the routing of funds. Correspondent banks subject to active enforcement action are flagged.
- Trade references. Two counterparty references for first-time buyers above a published threshold, plus an adverse-media review.
- End-use & end-destination. Confirmation of the discharge port, the consignee, and — for sensitive markets — the end-user. Diversion clauses appear in every contract.
KYC files are refreshed on a recurring basis, on a change of beneficial ownership, and whenever an event triggers re-screening. Records are retained in accordance with the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act retention windows applicable to our activity, regardless of whether we are a reporting entity.
Sanctions & Trade Controls
AWLAD will not knowingly facilitate any transaction that breaches Canadian sanctions, including measures issued under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA), the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (JCMR / "Magnitsky"), the United Nations Act, or the Freezing Assets of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act. Where a destination market is also subject to OFAC, HM Treasury or EU restrictions, we screen against those regimes as well — recognising that food-and-agricultural-products exemptions are narrow and not automatic.
Counterparties are expected to provide written confirmation that the cargo is not destined for, and will not be re-exported to, any restricted jurisdiction or end user.
Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption
Canada's Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (CFPOA) is the controlling statute for our overseas conduct, and we apply it as the floor — never the ceiling. Where a buyer's jurisdiction imposes a stricter rule (UK Bribery Act, US FCPA), the stricter rule applies.
- No facilitation payments. None — even where local custom suggests otherwise.
- Gifts, entertainment and hospitality are recorded and require approval above a published threshold.
- Agents and intermediaries are appointed under written contract with anti-corruption representations, audit rights and termination on breach.
- A confidential reporting channel is published below. Retaliation against good-faith reporting is treated as a terminable breach of conduct.
Independent Inspection & Trade Standards
Quality and weight at load are determined by an independent surveyor — typically SGS, Intertek, Cotecna or an equivalent — at the buyer's election or by mutual nomination. Discharge supervision can be arranged by the same firm or by a separate appointment, at terms set out in the contract.
AWLAD contracts are drafted on the appropriate trade form for the commodity:
- GAFTA for cereals, pulses and feed grains, with arbitration in London under GAFTA Rule 125.
- FOSFA for oilseeds and vegetable oils, with arbitration under FOSFA Rules 71 and 72.
- Incoterms® 2020 trade terms (FOB, CFR, CIF) governing the passage of risk and the apportionment of costs.
The contract — not this page — is the binding instrument between AWLAD and a counterparty. Where any statement here conflicts with an executed contract, the contract controls.
Food Safety & Traceability
Food-grade lots are handled in line with the preventive control plan obligations of the SFCR. One-up / one-down traceability is maintained from the originating elevator or processor through to the bill of lading. Destination-market requirements — for example, FSMA in the United States, EU food law for European buyers, GSO standards for the GCC, FSSAI for India — are layered on top of the Canadian baseline where they apply.
Data & Records
Commercial records — contracts, KYC files, sanctions screening evidence, inspection certificates, customs declarations and email correspondence — are retained for the longer of (a) the retention window required by the applicable Canadian statute, and (b) seven years from the conclusion of the transaction. The handling of personal information within those records is governed by our privacy notice.
Reporting Concerns
If you have reason to believe AWLAD has breached any of the standards on this page — sanctions, bribery, food safety, fair dealing — write to compliance@awladlogistics.com. Reports may be sent under a pseudonym. They will be acknowledged within five business days and triaged in writing.
Where the matter touches on criminal conduct, AWLAD will cooperate with the appropriate Canadian authority — the RCMP for CFPOA matters, FINTRAC for suspected money-laundering, CBSA for export-control issues — without prejudicing the reporter.
Status of this Notice
This compliance notice is a public statement of posture, not a regulatory filing. It supersedes any earlier version. Any specific assurance a counterparty requires — license numbers, audit letters, banking references — should be requested in writing and will be answered from the file.
AWLAD reserves the right to update this notice. Material changes are flagged in the colophon below and announced to active counterparties by email.