relative file path for layout
Skip to main content  Skip to search  Skip to main menu
Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 191/4

29 April 2010

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 183/2010

Canada : Amended Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations

The Canadian Department of Industry (Industry Canada) published a notice in the Canada Gazette, Part II of 14 April 2010 to announce its amendments to the Canadian Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations (TLAR) to allow the use of "lastol" and "polylactic acid or PLA" as generic fibre names on the labels of consumer textile articles. The amendments have become effective on 25 March 2010. A copy (pdf format) of the Gazette notice is appended to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

  1. The Canadian Textile Labelling Act (TLA) and the TLAR are intended to protect consumers against misrepresentation in the labelling and advertising of textile products as well as to ensure that consumers may choose textiles on the basis of fibre content. Full texts of the TLA and TLAR are available on the website of the Canadian Department of Justice (DoJ) at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/PDF/Statute/T/T-10.pdf and
    http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showtdm/cr/C.R.C.-c.1551//?showtoc=&instrumentnumber=C.R.C.-c.1551 respectively.

  2. The TLAR requires that the fibre content be disclosed by generic name, and Section 26 of the TLAR prescribes the generic fibre names that may be used in Canada to indicate the fibre content of a consumer textile article. If the generic fibre that a manufacturer wishes to use is not prescribed under Section 26, the manufacturer must apply to the Canadian Minister of Industry, as outlined in Section 27 of the TLAR, to have a new generic fibre name prescribed. In 2006, the Canadian Competition Bureau (CB), acting on behalf of the Minister of Industry, received two applications for new generic fibre names: "lastol" and "polylactic acid or PLA".

  3. After consultation, the Industry Canada has amended the TLAR to include "lastol" and "polylactic acid or PLA" in the list of Generic Names for Textile Fibres so that manufacturers would be able to use the new fibre names on the labels of consumer textile articles. According to the Gazette notice, "lastol" may be used as the generic name for the fibre "where the olefin units are cross-linked synthetic polymers with low but significant crystallinity, composed of at least 95 per cent by mass of ethylene and at least one other olefin unit and the fibre is substantially elastic and heat resistant"; and "polylactic acid or PLA" is "a manufactured fibre in which the fibre-forming substance is composed of at least 85 per cent by mass of lactic acid ester units derived from naturally occurring sugars".

  4. Separately, the CB has prepared an information page related to the "Textile Labelling" which is available at http://competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/h_02940.html. Traders are strongly advised to seek clarifications with their importers in Canada in order to comply with the necessary requirements. 

 

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,




(Miss Bonny CHAO)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry