New Requirement in Canada: French Labels and Instructions?
I recently heard that in Canada, sellers are now required to provide duplicate product information, instructions, and labels in French. If not, there’s a risk of listings being blocked, and sellers may even be required to reapply labels in French.Is this true? If so, where can I find the official policy or guidelines about this?Thank you in advance for any clarification or resources!
New Requirement in Canada: French Labels and Instructions?
I recently heard that in Canada, sellers are now required to provide duplicate product information, instructions, and labels in French. If not, there’s a risk of listings being blocked, and sellers may even be required to reapply labels in French.Is this true? If so, where can I find the official policy or guidelines about this?Thank you in advance for any clarification or resources!
2 replies
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It's not new, it's been the law since 1985 in this country. The Canadian government has forced product recalls from store shelves if an inspector notices that the labelling is not bi-lingual. you can view the official government policy here for the consumer Labelling and packages act: laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-38/index.html and the Official languages act here: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/o-3.01/fulltext.html
If the link doesn't work, google "Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-38)" and "Official Languages Act R.S.C., 1985, c. 31 (4th Supp.)"
Product labelling laws are issued at the federal level, and labels on products sold throughout Canada must meet the bilingual requirements as stated by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. This means all information must be in both English and French and must also be of equal prominence on the package. Numbers are considered bilingual, and measurements must use the metric system. (These rules do not apply to shipping containers or test market products that are not offered for sale to consumers.)
There are two exceptions to this Act: medical devices and drugs, and food commodities are not included, and are covered instead by the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act respectively.
However, Amazon themselves sell product in Canada that is not Bilingual, and they do not block their own listings. A double standard.
If you're importing and branding your own products with your trademark brand, it's your responsibility to make sure the labelling meets federal regulations. Otherwise the government may force your brand to recall your item Country wide.
