International Trade

The House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade met to study forced labour in supply chains, hearing from David Hutchison of Global Affairs Canada, Graeme Hamilton and Alexander Lawton of the Canada Border Services Agency, and Jennifer Esdaile of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

David Hutchison described his bureau's work on trade diversification and responsible business conduct, emphasizing that the Trade Commissioner Service advises Canadian exporters on OECD guidelines for ethical practices. He noted that responsible business conduct is a competitive advantage for Canada and that the structure of the CORE is under review, but he declined to comment on future trade agreement mechanisms or legislative agendas.

Graeme Hamilton explained that Canada's forced labour import ban is absolute, with no carve-outs, and that the CBSA uses a risk-based approach to target shipments, learning from U.S. and EU partners. He acknowledged challenges in supply chain traceability and information deficits, and said the agency has proactively issued trade advisory notices to about 1,800 high-risk importers, but could not confirm whether specific products flagged by U.S. authorities had entered Canada.

Alexander Lawton reported that since 2020, the CBSA has detained 48 shipments, with two resulting in prohibited determinations (one later overturned), 37 released after importer information, seven re-exported, and one abandoned. He said the biggest gap is entity-level information on working conditions, and that the agency's D-memo on forced labour is expected to be revised by March 2026. He noted that detentions are based on exporter risk, not importer identity, and that there is no global network for sharing information on re-exported goods.

Jennifer Esdaile stated that her role involves crime prevention and community safety, and that she could not comment on the operational capacity needed to implement a bill designating at-risk areas or entities, as that would require assessing any new authorities.

Hutchison disagreed with the suggestion that the Trade Commissioner Service has an enforcement mandate, clarifying it provides only advisory services. Hamilton noted that the CBSA does not conduct post-importation trade compliance verifications for prohibited goods, focusing enforcement at the border. Lawton added that the agency's risk methodology is constantly reviewed, but the information deficit remains a key challenge.

The committee adopted a motion by unanimous consent condemning unjustified American tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, automotive, and softwood lumber industries, and calling on the government to negotiate a win and deploy aid programs for affected sectors.