As the Canadian government considers how to structure and implement its promised ban of imports made with forced labour, it is important that policymakers take specific steps to ensure that any new measures do not unwittingly inflict further harm on already-exploited workers.

Halting the import of goods made with forced labour is required under the 2020 United States(US)-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. ban, which was introduced to protect the U.S. market from unfair competition, has been on the books since 1930, though enforcement has increased significantly over the last eight years, with 2,831 shipments detained to investigate forced labour as of March 31, 2024.

The EU has recently introduced a regulation that would prohibit placing goods made with forced labour in the internal market or exporting such goods from the EU.

Today the stated purpose of the bans is to eliminate forced labour by reducing the market for goods produced under these conditions. However, as these efforts gain momentum and Ottawa prepares to roll out Canada’s ban, it is important to ask: Does this regulatory approach benefit or harm workers who are experiencing forced labour?

There is little reliable data on how enforcement of these bans affects the workers who made the goods, but some advocates raise concerns........

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