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# Canada Bilingual Labeling: Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act Requirements

Every prepackaged consumer product sold in Canada — including electronics and hardware — must carry mandatory label declarations in both English and French. This is federal law under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, enforced by the CFIA, and it applies in every province. This guide covers what must appear on the label, how to format net quantity declarations correctly, and how the CPLA interacts with Quebec's stronger French-language requirements.

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At a glance

Law

Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (CPLA)

Administrator

CFIA

Language requirement

English + French mandatory

Key declarations

Product identity, net quantity, dealer name

## CPLA labeling requirements for electronics and hardware

### Bilingual English/French Requirement under CPLA

The Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (CPLA) requires that mandatory label information on prepackaged consumer products be declared in both English and French. This is a federal requirement that applies nationally — it is not limited to Quebec. The bilingual requirement covers all mandatory declarations: product identity (common name), net quantity, and dealer name and address. Optional label information is not required to be bilingual under the CPLA, though Quebec's French Language Charter (Bill 96 / Loi 101) imposes additional French-language obligations for products sold in Quebec that extend beyond mandatory CPLA declarations.

### Mandatory Label Declarations (Product Identity, Net Quantity, Dealer Identity)

Three declarations are mandatory on virtually all prepackaged consumer products under the CPLA: (1) Product identity — the common name or generic name of the product, declared in both English and French on the principal display panel. Trade names and brand names may appear but do not substitute for the common name. (2) Net quantity — the amount of product in the package, declared in metric units (litres, millilitres, kilograms, grams, or a count where appropriate). (3) Dealer name and address — the name and principal place of business in Canada of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor responsible for the product. For non-Canadian companies, a Canadian address is required — a distributor or importer's Canadian address satisfies this requirement.

### Net Quantity Declaration Rules (Metric Units, Minimum Font Size)

Net quantity must be declared in metric units in figures (numerals) that meet minimum height requirements based on the area of the principal display panel (PDP). For example, a PDP of less than 32 cm² requires a minimum numeral height of 1.6 mm; a PDP of 32–258 cm² requires 3.2 mm; larger panels require progressively larger minimum heights up to 12.7 mm for PDPs over 2,580 cm². Net quantity must be declared in mass (kilograms/grams) for solid products, volume (litres/millilitres) for liquid products, or count for products that are discrete units. Dual-unit declarations (metric and imperial) are permitted but not required federally; Quebec packaging sold before a certain date may have legacy dual-declaration requirements.

### Exemptions and Special Categories under CPLA

Not every product is subject to all CPLA requirements. Exemptions include: products sold only at the place of manufacture where the buyer can see the article; custom-made or custom-packaged goods prepared to a consumer's individual order; products packaged in the presence of the consumer; certain agricultural products regulated under other legislation; and containers with a principal display panel smaller than 6.5 cm². Some product categories have sector-specific labelling regulations that overlap with or supplement the CPLA, including food products (Food and Drug Regulations), textiles (Textile Labelling Act), and hazardous consumer products (Canada Consumer Product Safety Act). Electronics products sold as prepackaged consumer goods are generally subject to the full CPLA requirements without exemption.

## Label compliance process

01

Identify whether the product is a prepackaged consumer product under the CPLA. The CPLA applies to articles that are packaged in a container in advance of sale and are sold in that packaging to a consumer without being repacked. Most retail-boxed electronics, accessories, and consumer hardware qualify. Confirm the product is not exempt under any CPLA exemption before proceeding.

02

Prepare a bilingual product identity declaration in both English and French. The common name must appear on the principal display panel in both languages — this means the name itself in English and the equivalent name in French. The English and French declarations must be of equal prominence. If no standardized French common name exists for your product category, use a descriptive generic name in French that accurately conveys the nature of the product.

03

Calculate and format the net quantity declaration in metric units with the correct minimum numeral height. Measure the area of the principal display panel (PDP) to determine the required minimum numeral height. Declare the net quantity in the appropriate metric unit for the product type (mass, volume, or count). Position the net quantity in the lower 30% of the PDP, separated from other information by white space. Both English and French versions of the net quantity declaration (e.g., '250 mL' is language-neutral; words like 'net weight' must appear in both languages if used).

04

Include the dealer name and address — a name and principal place of business in Canada. Foreign companies without a Canadian office must use their Canadian importer or distributor's name and address. The address must be a Canadian address that allows consumers and regulators to contact a responsible party. This declaration does not need to appear on the PDP but must appear somewhere on the label.

05

Verify the completed label artwork meets minimum contrast and legibility requirements. The CPLA requires that mandatory information be clearly legible and readily discernible. Minimum contrast between text and background is not numerically defined in the CPLA but must be sufficient for normal reading conditions. CFIA enforcement takes into account whether declarations are practically readable — colored text on a similarly colored background, or reverse-out text at minimum size, may fail a legibility assessment.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does the bilingual requirement apply to all products sold in Canada?

The bilingual requirement under the CPLA applies to prepackaged consumer products sold in Canada — it is a federal requirement that applies in all provinces and territories, not only in Quebec. The key qualifier is 'prepackaged consumer product': goods packaged for sale to a retail consumer in their packaged form. Products sold business-to-business (to industrial or commercial buyers, not end consumers) may not be subject to the CPLA, though they may be subject to other labelling rules. Products sold only in English-majority markets do not get an exemption from the bilingual CPLA requirement — the law is national.

### What are the rules for net quantity font size?

The Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations specify minimum numeral heights for the net quantity declaration based on the area of the principal display panel (PDP). The scale is: less than 32 cm² PDP — 1.6 mm minimum; 32 to 258 cm² — 3.2 mm minimum; 258 to 645 cm² — 6.4 mm minimum; 645 to 2,580 cm² — 9.5 mm minimum; over 2,580 cm² — 12.7 mm minimum. These are minimum heights for the numerals in the quantity figure — not for accompanying text like unit symbols or net weight descriptors. The numerals must be legible and must not be obscured by graphics, seams, or other label elements.

### Can a company use a French-only province exemption?

No. There is no provincial exemption from the federal CPLA bilingual labelling requirement. The CPLA is federal law and applies equally across all provinces. Some companies mistakenly assume that products sold only in Quebec need only French labels — this is incorrect from a CPLA standpoint. The CPLA requires both English and French regardless of where in Canada the product is sold. Quebec's Charter of the French Language adds obligations on top of the CPLA (requiring French text to be at least as prominent as any other language on commercial labels), but it does not replace or create an exemption from the CPLA's bilingual requirement.

### How does the CPLA interact with Quebec's French Language Charter (Bill 96)?

The CPLA and Quebec's Charter of the French Language (Charte de la langue française, as amended by Bill 96) operate as overlapping regimes. The CPLA requires English and French on mandatory label elements. Quebec's Charter requires that French be present on labels sold in Quebec and that French text be at least as prominent as text in any other language — meaning French cannot be rendered in smaller font, lower contrast, or less visible placement than English. Bill 96 (2022 amendments) strengthened these requirements and imposed new obligations on companies doing business in Quebec, including for commercial labelling. For electronics sold in Quebec, compliance requires meeting both the federal CPLA bilingual standard and the Quebec language prominence requirements simultaneously.

**Disclaimer:** Educational resource only. Regulatory requirements change and vary by product category. Consult an accredited test laboratory or qualified compliance engineer before making certification decisions.

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