Government Relations

The Canadian Apparel Federation (CAF)’s substantial lobbying and government relations activities pay off for the industry and, most importantly, for our members. 

We work closely with federal government departments and agencies to help secure the best policy outcomes for the industry concerning a wide range of issues. These activities put us in a unique position to give our members exclusive strategic advice. 

We also host a variety of webinars, workshops and other events to help educate our members about important issues that could affect their operations in both the short and long term.

By ensuring that all members understand the implications of government regulations and trade policy, our members will feel confident in making better business decisions. CAF monitors developments in regulations and policy on both the federal and provincial levels.  We are a trusted source of the most up-to-date information to both government and industry. We also work individually with any member who has questions or concerns in these areas.

CAF creates positive benefits for the industry by changing harmful policies. 

Our lobbying efforts continue to secure tangible benefits for the industry, including:

• Our lobbying helps support the Canadian apparel industry.
  
  
• During and after the COVID-19 shutdowns we worked closely with government to resolve major supply chain issues in PPE manufacturing and coordination, wage subsidies and liquidity support, and the deferral of GST/Customs Duties and human rights.
  
  
• CAF campaigned alongside other industry organizations in June 2020 to extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Program to support apparel firms as they resumed business activities.
  
  
• CAF continues to coordinate and support the efforts of Canadian apparel firms that have pivoted their operations to produce PPE and general purpose masks. We also continue to work closely with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to support firms producing hospital gowns on contract with the Canadian government.
  
  
• In September 2020, CAF secured a three-month extension for firms with federal PPE contracts in order to address logistical bottlenecks of domestically-produced PPE as well as associated delays in payment for completed goods.
  
  
• Our five-year initiative to exempt apparel from the Upholstered and Stuffed Articles regulation, which was abolished completely in Ontario and Manitoba as of 2019. We continue to work to have the regulation abolished in Quebec, in order to streamline labelling requirements between all provinces.
  
  
• Our educational seminars and workshops focus on Canadian textile labelling compliance, featuring officials from the federal Competition Bureau. Over 200 companies in total participate every year.
  
  
• Successfully prevented a series of proposed amendments to the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulation (TLAR) that would have disrupted the operations of many firms in 2019.
  
  
• Formation of an advisory committee in collaboration with the Competition Bureau for the modernization of the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations, to better reflect the needs and practices of today’s industry.
  
  
• Regular advisory meetings with Health Canada to review current regulations that could inhibit innovation and growth in the industry, creating a channel for firms to be directly involved with the review and reform of regulations that affect their operations.

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