Forced Labour Prohibition

The forced labour prohibition is a rule in Canadian customs law that bars goods made with forced labour from entering the country. It covers goods mined, manufactured or produced wholly or partly by forced or compulsory labour, and it expressly includes forced or compulsory child labour. The prohibition is found in subsection 136(1) and tariff item 9897.00.00 of the Customs Tariff, as set out in the CanadaBuys Supply Manual annexes.

Canada has prohibited the importation of goods produced with forced labour since 2020, according to Global Affairs Canada. The rule matters in federal procurement because a contract for imported goods can fail at the border if those goods fall under the prohibition.

What Customs Tariff item 9897.00.00 prohibits

The prohibition applies to the goods themselves, not to the company that supplies them. A product is caught if forced or compulsory labour was used wholly or partly in mining, manufacturing or producing it. That wording reaches goods made from inputs or components produced under forced labour, not only finished goods assembled in a single factory.

The same provision names forced or compulsory child labour. Child labour is therefore covered by the same border rule and does not need a separate test.

How the border enforces the prohibition

Enforcement happens at the border through the Customs Tariff. Canada Border Services Agency officers make tariff-classification determinations about whether imported goods are prohibited from entering Canada. Goods found to fall under the prohibition are not released, which is the outcome that federal buyers and suppliers both need to plan for.

The international definition behind the rule

The concept rests on international labour standards. The International Labour Organization defines forced labour as work or service exacted from a person under the threat of a penalty and for which the person has not offered themselves voluntarily. The ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), contains that definition and requires forced labour to be treated as a criminal offence.

The ILO also notes that companies can become associated with forced labour through their business relationships with contractors and suppliers, even when they do not directly employ forced labour. That is why supply-chain due diligence is part of the conversation around the prohibition.

How PSPC and CanadaBuys apply it to contracts

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) uses anti-forced-labour clauses in relevant contracts. In its 2025 to 2026 annual report on preventing forced labour in supply chains, PSPC states that these clauses protect the department from financial liability if imported goods are not released at the border because their importation is prohibited under the Customs Tariff.

The CanadaBuys Supply Manual includes an annex titled "Anti-forced labour requirements." It directs procurement officials to account for the customs prohibition when they define requirements and receive requisitions. In practice, the issue is considered at the start of a procurement and not only at delivery.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

Goods supplied under a federal contract must not be goods whose importation into Canada is prohibited because they were produced wholly or partly by forced or compulsory labour. When a solicitation or contract includes anti-forced-labour provisions, the supplier must comply with those clauses and make sure imported goods can lawfully enter Canada.

• Read each solicitation for anti-forced-labour clauses before you price and commit to a source.
• Know where your goods and their inputs come from, including components bought through your own suppliers.
• Expect that goods stopped at the border under the prohibition will not be delivered, and plan sourcing accordingly.

The federal PSPC and CanadaBuys materials are the clearest reference point. Clause wording can differ between buyers, so confirm the requirements in each tender document.