Ottawa revamping approach to barring products of forced labour from reaching Canada

The federal government has tabled a bill to change the way Canada bars imports of products made with forced labour following an American tariff threat.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is in Paris with Prime Minister Mark Carney and her parliamentary secretary Rob Oliphant tabled the legislation today.

Oliphant says the bill would create a list of products and regions that have been linked to forced labour and would require importers to prove that their products were not made through slavery.

He says the bill is a Canadian approach that should also meet 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.

The bill will require study and consultation and the House of Commons is expected to rise for the summer next week.

Advocates have long argued Canada does a poor job of enforcing existing rules meant to bar products made through slavery, a point Carney acknowledged at a Thursday news conference.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.

By Dylan Robertson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.