Strengthening Canada’s response to forced labour

Anti-Slavery International and Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project welcome the Government of
Canada’s commitment to strengthen legislation to address forced labour in global supply chains. Bill
C-35, An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced with forced labour, is
an opportunity for the government to replace the existing ban under the Customs Tariff with one that
is more effective, comprehensive, properly resourced and robustly enforced. The government is also
considering due diligence and civil liability measures to address labour exploitation in operations,
subsidiaries and value chains. This signals an important progression from the reporting law currently
in place, Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.

This briefing is designed to outline key elements for Canadian lawmakers to consider, referencing
comparative lessons from other jurisdictions. It uses state-imposed forced labour in the Uyghur
Region, and the electric vehicle supply chain in this context, as a geographic and sectoral case study.