Bill C-35 No Importing Forced Labour Goods

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C-35 An Act Respecting the Prohibition of the Importation of Goods Produced by Forced Labour

Short Title:  Ban on Importing Goods Made with Forced Labour Act

Bill Type:  House Government Bill

Bill Sponsor:  Minister of Foreign Affairs

Status: Introduced — 1st Reading, June 12, 2026. This Bill has not passed yet.

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

What is this Bill For?

Bill C-35 bans the importation of goods made with forced labour into Canada. It gives the Minister of Foreign Affairs the power to create a list of goods suspected of being made with forced labour. Importers of listed goods must prove their supply chain is clean when asked — or their goods are automatically treated as prohibited. It also removes forced labor provisions from the existing Customs Tariff and replaces them with this standalone Law.

WHO GAINS POWER

  • The Minister of Foreign Affairs gains the authority to create and update a list of goods suspected of being made with forced labour — by regulation, with no Parliamentary vote required each time the list changes
  • Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers gain the power to detain goods for up to 90 days (or longer by regulation) while investigating forced labour claims
  • The Governor in Council gains broad regulation-making authority over how the Law is administered and enforced
  • ⚠️ List changes by regulation — The Minister can add or remove goods from the forced labour list without a vote in Parliament. The list can be changed by Regulation without a separate Parliamentary vote each time.
  • ⚠️ Detention period expandable by regulation — The 90-day detention window can be extended by regulation, meaning the ceiling on how long goods can be held is not fixed in the Bill itself.

WHO LOSES POWER

  • Importers lose the right to appeal or seek re-determination under the Customs Act if CBSA determines their goods were made with forced labour — judicial review under the Federal Courts Act is the only recourse
  • Existing appeals and re-determinations under the old tariff item (No. 9897.00.00) are cut off at Royal Assent for any case where no decision has been issued yet
  • ⚠️ No internal appeal route — Once CBSA makes a determination, importers cannot use the normal Customs Act appeal process. They must go to Federal Court, which is slower and more expensive.
  • ⚠️ Retroactive cutoff on existing cases — Any importer with a forced labour determination already in progress can lose their Customs Act appeal rights when this Bill receives Royal Assent if no decision has been issued. Judicial review in Federal Court is the only door left open.

WHO GAINS MONEY

  • The Federal Government recovers detention, storage, transportation and disposal costs from importers and owners of prohibited goods — jointly and severally liable, meaning either party can be pursued for the full amount

WHO LOSES MONEY

  • Importers and owners of goods found to be made with forced labour are on the hook for all Government costs related to detaining, storing, moving or disposing of those goods
  • Businesses importing goods from regions or producers on the Minister's list face compliance costs — documentation, supply chain audits and potential delays at the border

THE CATCH

  • The Bill replaces the forced labour provisions in the Customs Tariff but the new list-based system doesn't come into force until the Governor in Council issues an Order — Sections 8 and 9 (the information-disclosure and deemed-prohibition rules) have no fixed start date
  • ⚠️ Retroactive cutoff on existing cases — Any forced labour determination made before Royal Assent that hasn't received a decision yet is immediately stripped of its appeal rights. Affected importers lose their place in the existing process the moment this Bill becomes Law.
  • The Bill applies to the Crown — His Majesty in right of Canada or a Province is bound by the prohibition, which is notable but enforcement against the Crown is untested territory