The Importance of Proper Textile Labelling

When importing textile goods into Canada, it is vital to pay close attention to the labelling. The requirements for proper labelling are detailed in the Textile Labelling Act . The Act is in place to protect consumers from false labelling/advertising of textile fiber products. Importers that violate the Act can potentially face fines up to ten thousand dollars, or imprisonment for up to a year.

What needs to be labelled

The list of what items need to be labelled prior to import into Canada is extensive and can be found in Schedule I of the Regulations. The list includes textile articles worn by or carried on a person, floor coverings, outer coverings of upholstered furniture, draperies, carpets, table cloths, towels, bed linen, umbrellas and tents to name a few.

What should be on the label

Three mandatory requirements covered in the Regulations include the disclosure of fabric content information, bilingual writing and the identity of the importer.

• Fiber Content – Labels on these articles must state the fiber content expressed in percentages by mass. Any fiber more than 5% of the mass must be identified by common name.
• Bilingual Requirements  – Required fabric content information and any information relating to the fiber content must be bilingual except in areas where only one official language is used in consumer transactions.
• Dealer Identity – On most articles the identity of the business is displayed in the form of a CA Number. This number is applied for from the Competition Bureau. It is also acceptable to have the name and address of the business.

Application of labels:

The Regulations require that the label must be legible and accessible to the consumer at the time of purchase. Labels, depending on the textile article may take a variety of forms such as:

• Woven or printed labels that are sewn flat or along one edge;
• Printed labels applied by an adhesive or otherwise attached (e.g. stickers, hang tags);
• Printing the required information on a wrapper, package or container;
• Imprinting the required information directly on the article (all information should be in one place)

Conclusion

The Textile Labelling Act is a regulatory statute that requires imported consumer textile articles bear accurate and meaningful labelling information to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. The Act sets out specifications for mandatory label information such as the generic name of each fiber present and dealer identification. The penalties for not following these rules are hefty, so it is important for importers to get familiar with all regulation and adhere to them.

For any questions or for more information on importing into Canada, please ContactOrbit Brokers.