CA number lookup for dealers on Canadian clothing labels
Use Canada's official CA number lookup to find a textile dealer by number, company name or province. See what a match means and when a number is optional.
CA number lookup for Canadian clothing labels
For a CA number lookup, use the Competition Bureau's CA Identification Number database and enter the label's five digits. The number identifies a textile dealer, which may be an importer or retailer rather than the clothing factory, as the Bureau's textile guide explains.
You can also search by company name or province. The database includes issued and cancelled numbers, so finding a record does not establish current use. Follow the Bureau's search tips when checking a supplier or label.
How to search a CA number
A Canadian CA identification number has five digits preceded by "CA". The Bureau gives CA00000 as an example on its CA number information page.
To look up a number from a clothing label:
- Open the official CA number search.
- Enter only the five digits in the "CA Identification Number (#####)" field.
- Leave company name and province blank when searching by number.
- Run the search and check the returned dealer information against the business you expected.
For a hypothetical label reading CA12345, enter 12345. This example shows the format only, not a verified business record. The official instructions require five digits and say other search fields are unnecessary for a number search.
If you don't have the number, use the company name. Search one company at a time. Partial words work, and adding a province can narrow the results. A province-only search is also possible, according to the same search instructions.
There is a limit: each search returns at most 100 records, according to the Bureau's search tips. A broad province search is therefore not a complete dealer list. Narrow it with a company name instead of assuming the first 100 results cover every business.
Skip the asterisks. Wildcards do not work, quotation marks do not change results, and Boolean operators such as AND cannot search several companies together. These limits are set out in the Bureau's search tips.
What a CA number check tells you
The number is a dealer identifier, not an individual garment or style identifier. A dealer can be a manufacturer, processor, finisher, retailer or a business importing or selling textile fibre products. The textile labelling guide explains these roles and the use of a CA number for dealer identity.
For supplier checks, compare the dealer you find with the business named in your purchasing records. Don't infer the factory, garment age, authenticity or manufacturing origin from a dealer match. The identifier's scope is the dealer, so use separate evidence for those questions.
A returned record also needs care: the database covers both issued and cancelled numbers. Don't treat every match as an active registration. That limitation appears in the Bureau's search guidance.
If nothing appears, recheck the five digits. Try a partial company name if you know the business, then narrow by province. Treat a failed search as a reason to check the label and dealer details further, not as proof of a violation. The database notice makes holders responsible for keeping their information accurate.
Do clothing importers need a CA number?
No. The Competition Bureau says a CA number is optional. It can replace the dealer's name and address on textile labels.
That does not make dealer identification optional. Subject to its stated exceptions, paragraph 11(1)(b) of the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations requires the dealer's name and postal address. Subsection 12(1) allows an eligible dealer residing in Canada to apply for a number instead.
An importer can qualify, but importing alone does not remove the Canadian residence condition. Subsection 12(1) also covers dealers that manufacture, have articles manufactured on their behalf, process or finish consumer textile articles in Canada. It includes dealers that sell those articles at retail in Canada, or own and distribute them in Canada. Fibre-content disclosure remains a separate requirement under section 11. The number does not replace it.
How to apply for a Canadian CA number
Start with the Bureau's application information, which lists online and postal options. It gives a one-time registration fee of $100. Paragraph 12(2)(c) of the Regulations confirms that fee.
The written application must include the business name used in Canada. It must also name an authorized official employed by the dealer who resides in Canada. The specified Canadian business address and telephone number are required, plus a Canadian postal address where needed. Check subsection 12(2) for the full requirements before applying. Use the Bureau's guidance page to choose the application route.
Keep dealer details current
Under subsections 12(4) and 12(5) of the Regulations, use of the number depends on keeping the required information current. A subsequent dealer can use a transferred number if it meets the eligibility and current-information conditions.
RegAffairs AI explains the CA number lookup and textile labelling rules.
The Bureau's database notice tells holders to report changes in writing. Its textile guide includes business transfers, name or address changes and ceasing business among the changes to report.