Bill C-35 · 45th Parliament · Mark Carney
Ban on Importing Goods Made with Forced Labour Act
An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour
Government bill. Still before Parliament.
- IntroducedJune 12, 2026
- Debated in principleNot reached
- Studied by a committeeNot reached
- Passed its first chamberNot reached
- Passed the second chamberNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Mark CarneyPrime Minister
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
Only laws are compared, introduced against passed.
How precisely it is written
mixedChallenging the law: ModerateDisputing a charge: Moderate
The bill mixes clear definitions and fixed timelines with broad regulatory powers and a subjective suspicion standard for listing goods. Much of the operational detail and enforcement scope is left open to ministerial and cabinet discretion.
Open to argument
“there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they are produced wholly or in part by forced labour”
Subjective threshold invites argument over what evidence meets the test.“A customs officer designated by the President of the Canada Border Services Agency may determine whether imported goods are produced wholly or in part by forced labour”
No objective criteria or evidentiary standard is supplied for the determination.“the Governor in Council may make regulations for the purposes of this Act other than sections 5 and 8 to 10”
Open-ended regulation-making power covers wide areas without statutory limits.
Clear-cut
“a customs officer may detain goods for a period of up to 90 days, or for any longer prescribed period”
Numeric cap provides a clear outer limit even if extension is possible.“A person who imports goods in contravention of section 4 and the owner of the goods at the time they are imported are jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable”
Clear statement of joint liability fixes responsibility without ambiguity.
Discretion. The Minister of Foreign Affairs decides the list contents by regulation, customs officers decide individual detentions and determinations, and the Governor in Council fills most procedural and information rules by regulation.
Challenging the law itself. Sections 7 and 8 of the Charter could be invoked on grounds of vagueness or overbreadth because the suspicion standard and broad disclosure provisions leave significant room for inconsistent application.
Disputing a charge under it. A person can dispute an officer's determination through judicial review under the Federal Courts Act, but the absence of statutory appeal routes and the reliance on officer judgment make factual challenges fact-specific and resource-intensive.
Read by a language model from the as introduced text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
Only laws in force for two years or more are checked.
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.