If imported goods do not comply with the required marking and labelling requirements of the government, they will be refused entry, and monetary penalties under AMPS may be applied.
Marking and labelling regulations exist in the Customs Act, Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations, the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations, Precious Metals Marking Act, and other government regulations.
AMPS Penalties for importing unmarked goods without prior approval from the CBSA are as follows:
1st offence : $150
2nd : $225
3rd and subsequent : $450
Labelling & Marking of Textile Articles
The textile labelling requirements occur after importation, but prior to sale.
There are exemptions to labelling and marking requirements, such as charitable donations, and goods for the exclusive use of the importer’s employees not for resale to the general public. If goods are eligible for exemptions, the end-use must be clearly indicated at time of importation.
Importers are encouraged to develop a quality control system that will help them be sure the fibre content, origin and other required information on their product labels are correct.
Labels must show the fibre content and dealer identity, and must be sufficiently permanent to withstand ten cleanings of the product.
Labels must be bi-lingual if sales are in provinces where both official languages are commonly used.
Labels may show instructions on how to clean and care for the article (this helps the consumer decide which product to buy).
Both required and non-required information may be shown on the same label.
Textile labelling requirements can be found at:
Competition Bureau Canada
Country of Origin Marking Requirements
The country of origin of goods must be legible, sufficiently permanent and capable of being seen easily during normal handling of the goods, and must be easily visible by the consumer. Origin must be shown in English, French, or Spanish.
The country of origin is the country in which the goods were substantially manufactured. This means the country where the major part of production took place. It may be necessary to consider the accumulated costs of material, labour, and overhead when determining the proper country of origin for marking purposes.
Phrases such as “made in”, “produced in”, or “product of” are only required if there is more than one country shown on the label, or if the country of origin is not clear.
Country of origin requirements can be found at:
Canadian Border Service Agency