Textile Tariffs - Update 2010

The Government of Canadian announced the elimination of duties on imported raw materials as part of the 2010 federal Budget, These cuts included substantial reductions in duties on textiles. This is the most comprehensive package of input tariff reductions the Canadian government has ever undertaken.

Half of the duties paid on imported textiles were eliminated in the Budget. That means a savings of approximately $31 million (on an annual basis) for Canadian apparel manufacturers. Many of these are duty free effective March 5, 2010. Duties on other fabrics and yarns were reduced significantly, and are being phased out over 3 to 5 years - with the first set of cuts coming in January 2011.

These reductions are locked in, and for that reason manufacturers know their cost structure for the future. It is worth mentioning that it was extraordinarily difficult to push these amendments through at a time of fiscal restraint. The efforts made by the Canadian Apparel Federation (CAF) helped ensure that the package of tariff relief moved forward. No other industry in Canada benefits more directly from these measures than the apparel industry. No other industry group in Canada lobbied for these measures as strongly as CAF did.

Details of the tariff reductions are in a "Notice of Ways and Means" included as part of the Budget. Go to: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2010/plan/anx5a-eng.html Companies should also consult their customs brokers.

For more information please contact Bob Kirke at (613) 231-3220, ext. 224, bkirke@apparel.ca.

Key resources

Partner Links

Connect with us

Textile Tariffs - Update 2010