To import textiles to Canada, you must meet the Textile Labelling Act, which covers fibre content and dealer identity on the label. To import textiles to Australia, you must meet a mandatory care-labelling standard and make sure any origin claims are true. The two countries regulate different things, so treat them separately.
Garment importers in Australia and Canada are the party the regulator looks to. Confirm each point below with the official body or your customs broker before you finalise labels.
What does the Canada Textile Labelling Act require?
The Competition Bureau administers the Textile Labelling Act and its regulations. For consumer textile articles, the label must show:
- The generic name of each fibre that makes up 5% or more of the product, with its percentage of total fibre content.
- The fibre names in both English and French.
- Dealer identification: either the company name and mailing address, or a CA identification number issued by the Competition Bureau to eligible Canadian businesses.
The dealer information and any origin statement do not have to be bilingual. Goods sold in Quebec also have to meet the province's language rules. Check the Competition Bureau's textile labelling pages for the current text and for exceptions, such as made-to-order items.
Canada does not make care labels part of the same Act. In practice, retailers expect them, so agree the care symbols with your factory. Our guide on care labelling in the US, UK and EU shows the usual symbol systems.
What are the Australian labelling and origin rules?
In Australia, care labelling on new clothing and household textiles is mandatory under a standard set under the Australian Consumer Law. As we understand it, the Consumer Goods (Care Labelling) Information Standard 2023 replaced an earlier notice, with labels required to be permanent and in English. Check the current text and the accepted symbol systems on the ACCC and Product Safety Australia websites.
Fibre content labelling is not set out the same way as in Canada, though retailers will ask for it. Origin claims are different again: a claim such as Made in India must be true and must not mislead, and the ACCC publishes guidance on how origin claims are judged. Our guide to country of origin marking covers how the claim is built from the manufacturing steps.
How do duty and trade deals fit in?
Both countries have trade arrangements with India, and the preference you can claim depends on the product and its origin. Ask your customs broker for the current rate and the origin proof for your commodity code. Do not take a supplier's word for it.
Labels, packing and carton marking matter for any garment range, because an error is repeated across every piece in the order. See carton markings required for garment export shipments.
Next step
Write the label text, fibre names, care symbols and origin line into the tech pack before sampling, so the factory sews the right label from the first sample. We find and audit factories, check samples and documents, and supervise production and loading. Book a free sourcing review, or see the range under textiles on our sourcing page.