{"id":732722,"date":"2026-06-12T20:41:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/732722\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:41:18","slug":"ottawa-moves-to-crack-down-on-forced-labour-products-with-new-measures-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/732722\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa moves to crack down on forced labour products with new measures – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

The federal government tabled a bill Friday to change the way Canada bars imports<\/a> of products made with forced labour<\/a> following an American tariff threat.<\/p>\n

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Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand was in Paris with Prime Minister Mark Carney as the legislation was tabled by her parliamentary secretary, Rob Oliphant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be a made-in-Canada solution to an international problem,\u201d he told reporters on Parliament Hill.<\/p>\n

Oliphant said the bill would create a public list of products that have been linked to forced labour in specific regions, based on intelligence from embassies and other authorities.<\/p>\n

The bill would require importers to prove that specific products from listed regions were not made through slavery.<\/p>\n

He said Bill C-35 should address the concerns of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration is mulling new tariffs targeting Canada and other countries over imports made through forced labour.<\/p>\n

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The legislation would shift away from the current practice of Canadian officials inspecting containers. Instead, Oliphant said, officials would be provided with a list of higher-risk products to inspect.<\/p>\n

The bill also looks to put Canada in line with Mexico and with rules the European Union is currently crafting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not want dumping of cheaper materials, cheaper goods into Canada that are produced with forced labour,\u201d Oliphant said.<\/p>\n

The bill will require study and consultation and the House of Commons is expected to rise for the summer next week.<\/p>\n

Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett said he would examine the legislation but criticized the government for previously saying the existing system had been weeding out products of slavery.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re introducing legislation, saying that it\u2019s going to do the very thing that they said they were already doing,\u201d he told reporters Friday before Oliphant tabled the bill.<\/p>\n

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Oliphant insisted the bill was not tabled solely due to American pressure. He said the Liberals promised changes in late 2024 \u2014 shortly before then-prime minister Justin Trudeau suspended Parliament and resigned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is not the principal reason we are doing this now,\u201d he said of American tariffs.<\/p>\n

Under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, Ottawa changed the wording of a customs law on forced labour rules in 2020 to prohibit imports of goods \u201cthat are mined, manufactured or produced wholly or in part by forced labour,\u201d putting Canadian tariffs in line with CUSMA rules.<\/p>\n

But the White House says there is little evidence that Canada has stepped up enforcement.<\/p>\n

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United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer\u2019s office recently recommended an additional 10 per cent tariff on multiple countries \u2014 including Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom \u2014 it claims are not doing enough to enforce domestic bans on forced labour.<\/p>\n

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The Trump administration must launch further public consultations before it can impose the tariff. Carney said last week Canada already has a very strong forced labour regime but legislation would be introduced to crack down on it further.<\/p>\n

Advocates have long argued Canada does a poor job of enforcing existing rules meant to bar products made through slavery, a point Carney acknowledged Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have \u2026 a very strong framework and responsibilities \u2014 legal framework and standards and responsibilities. We\u2019ve been \u2026 less effective in fully enforcing those, and some of that relates to how the responsibilities are structured legally, some of it relates to resources,\u201d he told reporters in Toronto.<\/p>\n

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A recent report by Greer\u2019s office said the Canada Border Services Agency does not appear to publish official information about its enforcement efforts and cited numbers suggesting enforcement is weak.<\/p>\n

The report also noted an analysis by the Coalition Against Forced Labour that said Canadian border officials intercepted only 50 shipments on suspicion of forced labour, and just two shipments were turned away.<\/p>\n

CBSA has said it has intercepted and detained 50 shipments over concerns about forced labour since 2020. Two shipments were found to have been produced using forced labour \u2014 a 2024 shipment of textiles and one in 2025 containing frozen seafood.<\/p>\n

Former Liberal MP John McKay, who championed a 2023 law to bar slave products, has pointed out the U.S. allows private firms to produce exports using prison labour. He has accused the Trump administration of letting enforcement slide on a law to weed out Uyghur forced labour from China.<\/p>\n

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Advocates have accused Ottawa of failing to adequately enforce its 2023 legislation. While Ottawa can issue fines and launch investigations under the law, it hasn\u2019t used it to access private companies\u2019 records or issue penalties for non-compliance.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, Carney also his government is eliminating a watchdog position responsible for investigating allegations of human rights violations committed by Canadian companies abroad.<\/p>\n

The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), introduced under the Trudeau government, was tasked with investigating potential abuses, including the use of forced labour. Carney said the office hasn\u2019t been effective.<\/p>\n

On March 25, however, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the position \u201cremains important\u201d and suggested work was underway to fill the role. The UN Human Rights Committee has urged Ottawa to do so.<\/p>\n

In March, the government faced criticism for not directly stating whether Uyghur forced labour is underway in China.<\/p>\n

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That month, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said the Liberals are opposed to forced labour but are \u201cfocused on where we do agree\u201d with China, adding Ottawa can discuss human rights behind closed doors with Beijing.<\/p>\n

Beijing vehemently disputes claims that it is using Uyghurs for forced labour, arguing China has addressed terrorism threats while offering economic opportunities to minority populations.<\/p>\n

\u2014 With files from Kyle Duggan and Craig Lord.<\/p>\n

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