Vote No
An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Customs Tariff (forced labour and child labour)
Builders support eliminating forced and child labour from supply chains, but the bill’s broad presumption, mandatory detentions, and heavy documentation requirements risk significant red tape and border delays. Without explicit risk-based processes, service standards, and streamlined compliance pathways, the economic and administrative downsides outweigh the unclear competitiveness gains.
What is the government's estimate of the added compliance and border delay costs this bill will impose on importers and consumers, and will it commit to binding CBSA service standards and risk-based targeting to prevent supply disruptions?
What transparent evidentiary thresholds and appeal mechanisms will be in place to challenge a country designation or entity listing under sections 136.2 and 136.3, so businesses are not unfairly penalized by politicized or inaccurate listings?
How will the regulations recognize trusted-trader programs and third-party certifications, and be harmonized with U.S. and EU forced-labour regimes, so small and medium importers are not forced into duplicative, costly compliance?
Ethical supply chains may enhance reputation, but new detention and compliance burdens could raise costs and slow trade, with unclear net impact on prosperity.
Creates a broad rebuttable presumption, mandatory detentions, and extensive certification/due-diligence requirements that increase red tape for importers.
Alignment with global norms can protect market access, but border delays and paperwork may reduce productivity unless implemented with risk-based, digital processes.
Targets imports; any export benefit from reputational gains is indirect and uncertain.
May spur investment in traceability tech, but compliance costs and uncertainty could deter broader investment without clear, streamlined rules.
Places new operational burdens on CBSA for detentions and verification without built-in service standards, risking slower service and higher costs.
No tax measures are included.
Addresses an important ethical goal but does not directly target large-scale productivity or growth outcomes.
Did we get the builder vote wrong?
Email [email protected]