Canada Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in canada, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Regional Markets - Québec
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Québec is the only predominantly French-speaking province in Canada and is home to 85% of the Canadians whose dominant language is French. The Charter of the French Language is the cornerstone of Québec’s language policy. Adopted in 1977, it covers all areas aimed at making French the language of government and law, as well as the normal language of work, instruction, communication, commerce, and business.

In Québec, provincial legislation requires the use of French on the labeling of all products sold in Québec. The Charter of the French Language requires that every inscription on a product, its container or wrapping, or on a document or object supplied with it, including the directions for use and the warranty certificates, must be drafted in French. A language other than French may also be used, provided that no inscription in the other language is given greater prominence than those written in French. These rules do not apply for non-retail/consumer goods if these goods are coming from outside the province and will be incorporated into a final assembly of a larger product; will be used in a manufacturing process; will undergo a degree of transformation; will undergo any type of repair; or is not available in the retail market in Québec.

Bill 96, an act strengthening the province’s Charter of the French Language, came into force on June 1, 2022. The Bill imposes specific measures regarding the use of French in sectors, including commerce, with changes impacting advertising, packaging, instructions, eCommerce, and Francization of companies, among other business activities.

The Québec province functions under the civil code legal tradition. Therefore, when entering into a contract with any Québec-based entity, be aware that unless you request otherwise, you will be held responsible for adhering to a different code of legal rights and responsibilities. Seeking legal counsel in Québec before entering into contractual obligations is recommended.

Québec companies like to build personal relationships before entering into agreements. Meeting with potential partners and clients is a very important aspect of developing a rapport and doing business in Québec.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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