Since asbestos is effectively banned in Canada, what stopping foreign companies from using it anyways inside their products they import into the country?
In: Economics
Canadian Import Legislation.
When a Foreign Company imports a product to 2nd Country/Union/Continent which doesn’t have a Trade Agreement, there’s a tonne of administration involved in terms of what is in the product etc in order for them to be allowed onto CA shores, distributed and sold.
Occasionally these products can be seized & tested. Even if two Countries do have a trade agreement, there’s still admin to be done by Customs & products will still be tested randomly to ensure compliance.
It’s not foolproof however….
Unless there’s a low risk it’s found out and a sizable savings involved, it’s simply not worth it. It’s not like there’s a black market for asbestos-laden products like there is for drugs. They find it in one shipment they are going to flag every shipment from you, and when they announce a recall for stuff that has already possibly snuck through you’re dealing with that also.
Because countries have customs enforcement that (in theory) check imported goods for things that are illegal. Of course things can slip through, and often do, but on the whole you won’t have a mass market item that is being sold to millions of people slipping through
Customs isn’t just about criminally illegal things like drugs, they also ensure goods meet laws like your asbestos example, or that they don’t infringe on trademarks (customs will often look for fake designer goods like handbags), or that they meet safety standards (think cars), etc.
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