The Canada Border Services Agency says it acted lawfully and in B次元官网网址済ood faithB次元官网网址� when it detained nearly 50 containers of solar panels belonging to a Victoria, B.C., company over concerns they were made using forced labour.

Charge Solar Renewables Inc. sued the border agency in Federal Court in November 2024, alleging the detention of solar panels from China worth more than $5-million caused it to lose its B次元官网网址渄ominant market share.B次元官网网址�

The companyB次元官网网址檚 lawsuit says border guards detained the shipments that came through ports in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto between February and April 2024, but later lifted the detentions after determining the panels werenB次元官网网址檛 prohibited under rules that came into force in 2020.

The border agencyB次元官网网址檚 statement of defence filed last month in Federal Court says the company B次元官网网址渕ade the economic decisionB次元官网网址� to purchase and import the panels knowing they were subject to examination and possible detention.

The agency says it owes no B次元官网网址渄uty of careB次元官网网址� to importers because the law doesnB次元官网网址檛 oblige border guards B次元官网网址渢o consider the impacts of detention decisions on private business interests and their commercial relationships.B次元官网网址�

The statement of defence says there are B次元官网网址渋mportant policy reasonsB次元官网网址� against allowing the companyB次元官网网址檚 lawsuit for negligence because it B次元官网网址渨ould create indeterminate liabilityB次元官网网址� over each decision made by border officers regarding imported or exported goods.

The Charge Solar shipments were eventually released in June and July.