Product Labelling Requirements in Canada: A Guide for Small Importers

Last reviewed: August 2026

You found a supplier. The product looks good and the packaging looks professional. The supplier tells you, “We already export worldwide, so our label is fine.”

That does not necessarily mean the product is ready to sell in Canada.

Canadian labelling requirements depend on the type of product you are importing. A textile product can have different requirements from a cosmetic, a food product, a natural health product, or an ordinary prepackaged consumer product.

For many small importers, the safest approach is to figure out the Canadian labelling requirements before approving packaging or starting mass production. This guide explains the basics in plain language.

First Thing to Understand: There Is No Single Canadian Label Template

For ordinary prepackaged non-food consumer products, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations generally require three core pieces of information: the product identity (what the product is); the net quantity, where required; and the dealer name and place of business.

But some categories are governed by different or additional rules.

For example, cosmetics can require an ingredient list and carry their own consumer-package requirements. Natural health products have their own extensive labelling framework.

So before asking your supplier to print 5,000 boxes, start with one question: What Canadian regulatory category does my product fall into? That question comes before logo placement, font choice or packaging colour.

For Ordinary Prepackaged Non-Food Products

If your product falls under the general Consumer Packaging and Labelling framework, three elements are especially important.

1. Product identity

Consumers need to be able to understand what the product actually is. The product identity can be the commonly used name, the generic name, or the function of the product. Examples might include: storage container, candle, garden hose, or adhesive labels.

For products subject to these general rules, the product identity is normally required in English and French, and the Competition Bureau specifies minimum type-size requirements. That means putting only an attractive brand name on the front may not be enough if the brand name does not clearly identify what the product is.

2. Net quantity

Where required, the package must accurately state how much product is inside. Depending on the product, this may be expressed by mass, volume, length, area or count.

Metric measurement is generally required. Metric symbols such as g, kg, mL and L are treated as bilingual. A net-quantity declaration may not be required in specific situations—for example, when the product is normally measured by count, the count is one and the product identity is stated in the singular; when visible and identifiable contents meet the applicable count exemption; or when the product is sold as a set with an accurate image of the contents. Check the rule that applies to your specific packaging format.

3. Dealer name and address

For ordinary prepackaged consumer goods, the label generally needs to identify the person or business by or for whom the product was manufactured or produced for resale. The Competition Bureau describes this as the dealer’s company name and full mailing address, and the dealer information may be shown in either English or French. For these products, the dealer information normally cannot simply be placed on the bottom of the container.

This is one reason a supplier’s existing overseas label may not work for a Canadian private-label business.

What Changes When the Product Is Imported?

Here’s an easily missed rule. If a prepackaged product is wholly manufactured outside Canada and your label shows the name and address of the Canadian business for whom it was manufactured, the regulations generally require the Canadian dealer information to be preceded by:

Imported by / Importé par
or
Imported for / Importé pour

unless the origin is otherwise identified on the label. Another acceptable approach can be showing the name and address of the foreign dealer.

For example, a compliant approach could potentially use:

Imported for / Importé pour
ABC Home Inc.
Calgary, Alberta [full qualifying address]

Or, where the regulations allow the origin alternative:

Made in India
ABC Home Inc.
Calgary, Alberta [full qualifying address]

The exact layout still needs to meet applicable placement and type-size requirements.

If geographic origin is used instead of “Imported by / Importé par” or “Imported for / Importé pour” under these rules, the origin statement must be placed immediately beside the Canadian dealer identity and place of business and meet the applicable type-size requirement.

Is “Made in India” Mandatory?

This deserves clarification, because country of origin and product labelling are not exactly the same thing. The Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act does not generally require every product to carry a country-of-origin declaration, and the Textile Labelling Act does not impose a universal country-of-origin declaration on every textile product.

However, there are important exceptions. The CBSA has separate country-of-origin marking requirements for certain imported goods, and when marking is required, the Canadian importer is responsible for ensuring the imported product complies. Separately, if you make a representation that the article, fabric or fibre is imported, the country of origin must also be identified.

So don’t use a blanket rule like “every imported product must say Made in India.” The correct answer is: check both the product’s labelling requirements and the CBSA marking requirements that apply to that particular product.

Special Rules for Textiles, Bedding and Clothing

This is especially important for businesses importing items such as bedsheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, quilts, towels, clothing, curtains and other fabric products.

Consumer textile articles subject to the Textile Labelling Act are not governed by the general Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act requirements. Instead, you need to follow the textile-specific rules. You shouldn’t simply take the general three-item packaging checklist and assume it applies unchanged to a bedsheet.

What does a Canadian textile label need?

Fibre content. When a fibre makes up 5% or more by mass of the textile, its name and percentage generally need to be disclosed, with fibres normally shown in descending order by mass. For example: 100% Cotton / Coton, or 80% Cotton / Coton, 20% Polyester / Polyester. This information generally needs to appear in English and French, subject to limited regulatory exceptions. Do not invent your own fibre names or abbreviations because they look nicer on the label — the regulations prescribe generic fibre terminology.

Dealer identification. A textile disclosure label must generally identify the dealer. A Canadian textile business can use either its company name and mailing address, or a CA Identification Number — a five-digit number preceded by “CA.” Eligible Canadian manufacturers, processors, finishers, importers and sellers of textile fibre products can apply for a CA Identification Number and use it instead of displaying the full name and mailing address. Dealer identification does not need to be bilingual federally.

Bedding has an additional label-permanence issue

For a consumer textile article included in Schedule I and not included in Schedule III, the disclosure label must be made and attached so that it can reasonably be expected to remain legible through 10 cleanings. Schedule I specifically includes consumer textile articles for use on beds, including pillows — which is particularly relevant to products such as sheets, pillowcases and many other bedding products. In other words, a loose paper insert inside the package may not be enough for the required textile disclosure.

What if the bedding is inside packaging?

If the required disclosure label on the textile article is clearly visible to the customer while the product is inside its wrapper, package or container, the information generally does not need to be repeated on the outer packaging. If the disclosure information is not clearly visible, the required information must generally also appear on the wrapper, package or container. That’s something to think about when designing boxes, zipper bags, paper wraps or gift packaging — a beautiful package that completely hides the legally required label may create extra labelling work.

Are washing instructions mandatory on Canadian textile labels?

This one surprises people. Under the federal Textile Labelling framework, care instructions are not mandatory. If you choose to provide care instructions, however, they must be accurate and not misleading — statements such as “Machine wash cold,” “Tumble dry low” or “Do not bleach” should actually be appropriate for the product. From a customer-experience perspective, care instructions are still extremely useful even where they are not federally required.

What About English and French?

For ordinary prepackaged non-food products, key mandatory information such as the product identity is generally required in English and French. Net quantity also has bilingual requirements, though approved metric symbols can function in both languages, and dealer identification can generally appear in one official language.

For regulated textiles, fibre-content information generally must appear in English and French, subject to limited exceptions, while dealer information and country of origin, where required, do not federally have to be bilingual.

For an ecommerce business selling throughout Canada, relying on narrow geographic exemptions is usually impractical. Designing for both official languages from the beginning is often the cleaner approach.

And Quebec Has Additional French-Language Requirements

Federal bilingual rules are not the end of the story. Quebec has additional requirements governing French on products, packaging and accompanying documents. The Office québécois de la langue française states that information appearing on a product, its packaging or an accompanying document must be in French; another language can also appear, but generally must not be given greater prominence or more favourable accessibility than the French. Additional trademark rules took effect June 1, 2025, including requirements relating to generic or descriptive elements contained within certain trademarks.

If you plan to sell into Quebec, check the current Quebec requirements when your label is being designed — not after thousands of units have arrived.

Don’t Assume Every Product Follows the Textile or General-Package Rules

A few examples show why product classification comes first. A cosmetic label may require an ingredient list, product identity, metric net quantity, dealer information, contact information, and applicable warnings or cautions. Natural health products have a separate regulatory system that includes requirements concerning product names, licence numbers, ingredients, directions and risk information — Health Canada’s compliance date for the newer NHP labelling amendments is June 21, 2028, with further regulatory work planned. Food has its own federal framework again.

The message here is simple: never copy a label from an unrelated Canadian product and assume yours follows the same rules.

The Importer Is Responsible — Not Just the Factory

One of the most important lessons for first-time importers is that overseas suppliers manufacture to the specifications you provide. “They’ve shipped to Canada before” is useful information; it isn’t a compliance guarantee.

For textiles, the Competition Bureau specifically states that manufacturers, importers and retailers share responsibility for ensuring a compliant label and that claims about fibre content, quality, performance and origin are accurate. The CBSA says Canadian importers are responsible for ensuring that goods subject to country-of-origin marking comply when imported.

Before mass production, your practical label-approval checklist should therefore cover: the product’s regulatory category; mandatory Canadian information; English/French requirements; Quebec requirements if selling there; exact fibre or ingredient declarations where applicable; dealer identification; imported-product wording; country-of-origin marking requirements; warnings or safety information; label location and permanence; and confirmation that every claim on the packaging is accurate.

Be Careful with Claims Such as “Made in Canada”

Origin claims are advertising claims as well as label information. The Competition Bureau says businesses are not generally required to make a Canadian-origin claim, but if they do, it must be truthful. Its current guidance says it generally will not challenge a “Product of Canada” claim where the last substantial transformation occurred in Canada and at least 98% of total direct production or manufacturing costs were incurred in Canada. For “Made in Canada,” its general framework uses a 51% Canadian direct-cost threshold, the last substantial transformation in Canada, and an appropriate qualifying statement such as “Made in Canada with imported parts.”

Putting a maple leaf on imported packaging does not magically turn the product Canadian. Marketing has many talents; alchemy is not one of them.

What to Do Before Paying the Final Supplier Balance

Before approving production, ask the supplier for the final label and packaging artwork, then review it against the Canadian requirements for your specific product category. Don’t only check spelling — check: What information is required? Which language must it appear in? Where must it appear? How large must it be? Must the label be permanent? Does Canada require additional warnings? Does Quebec add another requirement? Does CBSA require country-of-origin marking?

Then save the approved artwork with your supplier records. If the product is complex or highly regulated, paying for a compliance review before manufacturing thousands of units can be much cheaper than relabelling inventory after it arrives in Canada.

Final Takeaway

The biggest mistake is thinking, “My supplier already has a label.” The better question is: “Does this label meet the Canadian rules that apply to my exact product?”

For ordinary prepackaged non-food products, start by checking the product identity, net quantity and dealer identification requirements. For textiles, move to the Textile Labelling Act framework and pay close attention to fibre content, bilingual disclosure, dealer identification and label permanence. Then check whether your specific product has additional federal, provincial or Quebec requirements. Do this before production — not when the container is already on the water.