The federal government will table a bill in the coming days to address U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff threats on imports linked to forced labour.
Bill on Forced Labour Imports
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand placed a bill titled An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour on notice on Wednesday. Government bills are typically put on notice at least 48 hours before introduction in the House of Commons, meaning it could be tabled as early as Friday.
Officials in Anand's office were not immediately available to detail the legislation, but Prime Minister Mark Carney stated the government had been exploring ways to strengthen the current regime to better prevent imports of goods made through forced labour.
US Tariff Pressure
The government has been compelled to act after the Trump administration announced that several countries, including Canada, would face an additional 10 per cent tariff for failing to effectively enforce bans on forced labour imports.
Canada already prohibits importing goods manufactured wholly or partly by forced labour through a customs tariff amendment under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). However, the U.S. argues Canada has done too little to stop such imports, citing public data showing that only two shipments entering the country since 2020 were confirmed to have been produced using forced labour.
Enforcement Data
In total, 50 shipments were intercepted or detained. Karine Martel, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), said these included solar panels, automotive parts, textiles, agricultural products, and frozen seafood.
The two confirmed forced labour shipments were a 2024 textile shipment and a 2025 frozen seafood shipment, both from China, according to Martel. She added that the remaining shipments were either permitted entry after additional supply chain information was reviewed, abandoned by the importer, or re-exported before the CBSA made a formal determination.
Martel emphasized that importers are responsible for ensuring their goods comply with Canadian law.
Government Response
Carney said last week that the U.S. actions were not unexpected, as the trade investigation had been ongoing for months, and that CUSMA would shield Canada from most tariffs. However, he affirmed Canada's alignment with the U.S. goal of eliminating forced labour imports and pledged to use its influence to combat the practice.
