Canada Updates Forced Labour Reporting Guidelines and Launches 2026 Cycle

Trade Update • Dec. 26, 2025

Key Points

• Canada has released updated guidance to clarify forced labour reporting under the Supply Chains Act, without changing existing obligations.
• The federal government has formally launched the 2026 reporting cycle, with reports due by May 31, 2026.
• Entities and government institutions must submit reports via the online questionnaire.
• Clarifications include definitions of “very minor dealings,” attestation formats, and the exclusion of personal information.
• Public Safety Canada has also published a list of entities and government institutions with reports on the catalogue as of December 4, 2025; quarterly updates will follow.

Canada has updated its guidance for forced labour and child labour reporting under the Supply Chains Act and launched the 2026 reporting cycle. The updated guidance, outlined separately for entities and government institutions, offers clearer instructions on reporting very minor dealings, meeting attestation requirements, and excluding personal information from submissions. Public Safety Canada also clarified how reports are reviewed before being published in the public catalogue. Reports prepared using previous versions of the guidance remain acceptable.

2026 Reporting Cycle

Entities and government institutions must submit their reports by May 31, 2026.

Reports are submitted through the online questionnaire. Entities and institutions should review the updated guidance before submission to ensure reports meet all requirements for content, attestation, and format.

The information collected supports transparency, helps track compliance trends, and contributes to Public Safety Canada’s reporting to Parliament.

Guidance Updates for 2026

Public Safety Canada updated its guidance for the 2026 reporting cycle to clarify reporting requirements and make the process easier to follow. These updates provide minor clarifications and do not change existing reporting obligations.

Key Updates:

• Very minor dealings: Guidance clarifies which small or incidental activities do not need to be reported.
• Attestation requirements: Reports must include a proper signature; unacceptable formats may delay publication.
• Personal information: Reports must not include personal details beyond the attesting official’s name and title.
• Review process: More detail on how reports are checked before appearing in the public catalogue.
• International examples: Practical examples from the international reporting template are available to help entities meet compliance requirements and enhance the clarity and quality of their reports.

For the complete 2026 reporting requirements, check Public Safety Canada’s official page for entities and government institutions.

Published Reports

Public Safety Canada has released a list of entities and institutions with published reports as of December 4, 2025:

• List reflects reports that passed initial quality assurance review.
• Catalogue includes filtering tools by organization, sector or keywords to help users find specific reports.
• Late submissions are accepted for up to one year after the deadline, so the list will update quarterly.
• Self-reported data forms the basis of the current list.

To request a copy of the list of reporting entities and government institutions, email ps.scai-lcae.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca.

Important Notes for Reporting Entities

• Only reports that pass Public Safety Canada’s quality assurance check are published in the online catalogue. Reports that do not meet minimum standards are excluded.
• The catalogue is updated regularly, but not in real time, so some approved reports may not appear immediately.
• Reports submitted after the May 31 deadline are accepted and added to the catalogue but are marked as late.
• The published list of reporting entities and government institutions is maintained and updated quarterly.
• Users can search the online catalogue by organization name, sector, or keywords to find specific reports.

Check the 2025 Annual Report to Parliament to see the results and key insights from the latest Supply Chains Act reporting cycle

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