Recently, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney seemed to downplay forced labor in China. When asked about the risks, he said some regions in China are “higher risk” and that it is an issue all around the world. His comments follow his colleague dismissing concerns about forced labor in China in a parliamentary hearing on March 26. Carney has defended Member of Parliament, Michael Ma, as well as the country’s efforts to keep forced labor out of its market.
But advocates are not convinced that Canada has “strong protections” in place as the Prime Minister insists. With forced labor import bans in the US and the EU, there are concerns that countries such as Canada can become potential dumping grounds. Further, Canada has previously taken a much stronger stance on forced labor in China.
A “terrible track record”
Canada has put measures in place aimed at blocking imports tied to forced labor. However, experts say these rules are rarely applied. Consequently, very few shipments are stopped at the border. Indeed, conservative MP Michael Chong, said Canada has a “terrible track record” of preventing the importation of products made with forced labor.
MP Chong told CBC:
I strongly disagree and I think many experts and many human rights groups would strongly disagree with the prime minister’s assessment that we have a rigorous system for preventing the importation of these products.
Canada’s response to forced labor contrasts sharply with stronger enforcement in countries like the United States, where authorities actively investigate and block goods linked to exploitation. Tellingly, the US recently launched an investigation into whether Canada and other countries are doing enough to prevent imports made with forced labor. And this probe could have serious consequences. Canada already faces the threat of new tariffs from the US administration. Amidst fraying ties with the US, Canada seems to be pursuing a closer relationship with China. And advocates worry that Canada’s already poor “track record” will become worse.
A backwards step for Canada?
This recent controversy comes after Michael Ma dismissed the legitimacy of evidence presented by experts as “hearsay.” The MP asked her repeatedly if she had seen forced labor with her own eyes. Since she cited reports by Human Rights Watch, Ma said, “I don’t believe reports, I only believe in things that I can see with my own eyes.”
The CBC reports:
Chong called Ma’s performance at committee “incredibly damaging for Canada’s reputation.”
“It signals to the [People’s Republic of China] that they can intimidate the government of Canada into silence,” he said.
Ma later apologized for his comments. But PM Carney faced intense questioning throughout the week. At a news conference in Quebec, reporters asked if he agreed with a 2021 House of Commons motion declaring China’s treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide. He refused to answer, instead telling reporters, “There are fundamental issues in terms of China’s treatment of the Uyghurs in the past, and they’ve been rightly called out.”
Uyghur forced labor still ongoing
As recently as January 2026, UN experts raised renewed alarm about the Uyghur forced labor system in China. They noted that the “coercive elements” were “so severe” they amounted to “enslavement as a crime against humanity.”
The Freedom United community has been campaigning for an end to Uyghur forced labor in China for years. Governments and corporations must cut ties with the Uyghur forced labor system which extends across China through labor transfer schemes. Join the movement today!
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The ancient Romans did wonderful things in terms of civil infrastructure – because they had slaves to do the hard work. China aims at becoming the world’s factory, with the same means: turning many of its own citizens into slaves working for the rest of the planet’s inhabitants in a doomed capitalist economy that has no future in the long term. Every sensible person can understand this, but our rulers prefer to ignore the evidence and most decent people’s wishes to protect the poor everywhere.