Canada Advances Legislation to Combat Imports Linked to Forced Labour; URAP Calls for Robust Enforcement Mechanisms
Ottawa, Canada — The Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project welcomes the federal government’s decision to advance new legislation aimed at strengthening Canada’s prohibition on imports produced through forced labour. The proposed legislation comes at a critical moment, as Canada prepares for the upcoming renegotiation of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and faces increasing scrutiny over longstanding weaknesses in its enforcement of forced labour import restrictions.
On March 31, 2026, URAP submitted a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging immediate action to close significant gaps in Canada’s forced labour import enforcement regime. The submission emphasized that meaningful action on forced labour imports would align with Canada’s longstanding policy commitments, reflected in Budget 2023, Budget 2024, the Fall Economic Statement 2024, and every G7 Leaders’ Communiqué endorsed by Canada since 2019. These commitments have consistently emphasized the need to eliminate goods produced through forced labour from international markets and to uphold fundamental human rights in global trade.
URAP’s letter highlighted the federal government’s persistent inability to effectively enforce Canada’s existing prohibition on imports made with forced labour. While Canada introduced the import ban under its obligations pursuant to CUSMA, enforcement has remained inadequate, with very few shipments detained or excluded despite extensive evidence documenting the widespread use of forced labour in certain high-risk regions and sectors.
The submission acknowledged Prime Minister Carney’s commitment to review compliance measures, enforcement capacity, and funding requirements in order to strengthen implementation. At the same time, it warned that continued enforcement failures could expose Canada to significant legal, economic, and diplomatic consequences. In particular, inadequate enforcement of forced labour import restrictions may place Canada at risk of non-compliance with its CUSMA obligations, potentially creating trade vulnerabilities at a time when Canada is seeking to reinforce its economic relationship with key partners.
URAP’s intervention reflects years of sustained advocacy conducted in collaboration with legal experts, policy advisors, labour rights advocates, and international partners. For years, URAP has warned that Canada’s current framework lacks the necessary tools to effectively identify, intercept, and prevent the entry of goods produced through state-imposed forced labour systems, particularly those linked to the Uyghur Region.
The federal government is now advancing “An Act Respecting the Prohibition of the Importation of Goods Produced by Forced Labour,” a landmark legislative initiative that would significantly expand the authority of the Canada Border Services Agency to investigate, detain, seize, and prohibit shipments suspected of being produced through forced labour. Strengthening CBSA’s authorities is an important and necessary step toward meaningful enforcement.
However, legislation alone will not be sufficient. The effectiveness of the new law will depend entirely on the strength of the enforcement mechanisms it contains.
URAP is therefore calling on the federal government to incorporate a rebuttable presumption and reverse onus provision into the legislation. Such measures would prohibit the importation of goods mined, manufactured, or produced, wholly or in part, in high-risk jurisdictions, including the Uyghur Region, unless importers can demonstrate that their products are free from forced labour. These tools have proven essential in jurisdictions seeking to address state-sponsored forced labour systems where transparency, independent inspections, and credible labour audits are often impossible.
URAP further calls for the rigorous enforcement of Canada’s existing import prohibition against products originating from sectors and supply chains associated with forced labour, including electric vehicles and related components imported from China.
These measures are indispensable for addressing industrial-scale forced labour and state-directed labour transfer programs affecting Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. Without robust enforcement provisions, Canada risks allowing products linked to documented human rights abuses to continue entering the Canadian marketplace despite the existence of legal prohibitions.
URAP strongly supports the government’s initiative and will continue working with parliamentarians, officials, and civil society partners to ensure that the legislation achieves its intended purpose. Canada has an opportunity to become a global leader in combating forced labour and promoting responsible trade. Whether that opportunity is realized will depend not on the promises contained in legislation, but on the government’s willingness to enforce them.
Media Contact
Mehmet Tohti
Executive Director
Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
secure@urap.ca | (613) 621-2089