Canadian Trade Minister Promises New Efforts to Counter Forced Labor
The Canadian government intends to create a new framework for eradicating forced labor from supply chains, its minister of export promotion, international trade and economic development, Mary Ng, said in a Dec. 18 response statement. The proposed legislation would require government entities and businesses "to scrutinize their international supply chains for risks to fundamental labour rights and take action to resolve these risks," and, "a new oversight agency will be created to ensure ongoing compliance."
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The government is also introducing legislative amendments to the current ban on forced labor imports to, "increase the onus on importers to demonstrate their supply chains are free of forced labor." It will be providing $25.1 million over two years to Global Affairs Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to implement the new measures.
“These decisive actions demonstrate our government’s commitment to ethical trade practices and protecting workers’ rights while ensuring Canadian businesses can compete on a level playing field. We will continue to work with our partners to build more resilient and responsible supply chains,” Ng said.