Government suspending ban on single-use plastic exports

OTTAWA — The federal government is suspending the planned export ban on single-use plastics due to tariffs and supply chain issues “creating significant pressure on the domestic economy.”

The government launched a 70-day consultation about not moving forward with the single-use plastic export ban on Saturday through the Canada Gazette.

The government says the progress on environmental benefit expected with the export ban is not proportional to the economic impact.

The plastic sector generated $35 billion in revenue shipping single use plastics in 2023, according to the notice in the Gazette.

The posting notes that while many producers of single-use plastics have shifted toward making paper, fibre and compostable alternatives, a “significant number” of producers have not made the conversions.

The government says a majority of these operations are small businesses and stopping the export ban would minimize losses associated with shuttered production lines and stranded manufacturing assets.

Businesses that continue to produce single-use plastics will have to keep records for five years showing that products have or will be exported.

The domestic ban on single-use plastics such as grocery bags, straws, cutlery and ring carriers for cans remains in place.

The government notice in the Gazette says the effect on domestic plastic pollution is expected to be “negligible.”

On the international side, the Gazette posting says that single-use plastics are a global market and removing Canadian products means customers will find another supplier, so the government does not expect international plastic pollution to change as a result of a Canadian export ban.

The export ban had been scheduled to take effect Dec. 20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press