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The CA Identification Number is an identification number obtained by applying to the Competition Bureau. Commonly referred to as the “CA Number”, it is registered for the exclusive use of a Canadian dealer — a manufacturer, processor or finisher of a textile fibre product, or a person engaged in the business of importing or selling textile fibre products. This page explains the CA number, what it identifies, and how it relates to textile labeling in Canada, with the caution that the information here is not the official rulings.
The CA Identification Number is an identification number obtained by applying to the Competition Bureau. This identification number, commonly referred to as "CA Number", is registered for the exclusive use of a Canadian dealer on the label of a consumer textile article in place of a name and postal address.
The CA Identification Number is a five digit identification number preceded by the letters CA (ex: CA00000).
A CA Identification Number, commonly referred to as "CA Number", is a five-digit number preceeded by the letters CA issued by the Competition Bureau upon request.
The definition of a Canadian dealer is in summary is a person who manufactures, processes, or finishes textile fibre products; or is engaged in the business of importing or selling any textile fibre products. You can learn more specifics by reading the Textile Labeling Act for Canada. The Textile Labeling Act is essentially an Act respecting the labelling, sale, importation and advertising of consumer textile articles.
The CA # works in Canada in similar manner as the RN # works in the United States. They are NOT interchangeable. No number can substitute for a business name and address or CA Identification Number on the label of consumer textile articles in Canada.
Consumer textile products in Canada should be labeled with the full name and address of the dealer or a CA Identification #.
When printing on a care label the manufacturer has a limited amount of space. Using a CA# instead of a full company name and address has the obvious benefit of using less space. It is important to keep in mind that washing instructions, fiber content, country of origin, and other things may also be required on the care label. Because consumers do not want huge labels inside their garments, it is important to keep the label small but legible.
Learn more about CA #'s & RN #'s here on Apparel Search.
Learn more about the CA# at http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02576.html
You may find the following page helpful as well:
guide to The Textile Labeling and Advertising Regulations: This guide provides an outline to the basic labelling requirements for consumer textile articles subject to the Textile Labelling Act and the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations. The full text of the Act and Regulations should be consulted for a more detailed understanding of these provisions.
Note: the information on this page was added in February 2015. You should always consult directly with the Canadian governments website for the most accurate and up to date information. The information on this page is NOT the official rulings.
If you are interested in learning more about care labeling, you may want to review our wash care labels term page.
Learn more about clothing labels.
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A name and full postal address take up a great deal of room on a small clothing label, and large dealers sell under many product lines. The CA number solves that practical problem: one registered number stands for the dealer, and anyone — a retailer, an inspector or a consumer — can use the number to identify the business behind the product through the Competition Bureau's registry. The number does not replace the other things a Canadian textile label must say, such as fibre content; it replaces only the dealer's name and address portion of the label.
For exporters the CA number is a useful lesson in how labeling rules differ by market. The United States uses its own registered identification system for textile products, the European Union relies on manufacturer identification by name, and Canada uses the CA number — so a garment sold in all three markets may carry three different identification approaches on three different label layouts. Brands that sell into Canada build the number into their label artwork early, because adding it after labels are printed means reprinting the entire label run.
An identification number obtained by applying to Canada's Competition Bureau, registered for the exclusive use of a Canadian dealer in textile articles. It appears on textile product labels in place of the dealer's name and address.
Canadian dealers as defined on this page: manufacturers, processors or finishers of textile fibre products, and people engaged in the business of importing into Canada or selling textile fibre products.
No. The CA number identifies the dealer responsible for the product; care labeling is a separate requirement about how the garment should be washed and cared for. This page links onward to the wash care labels term and the clothing labels term for the related topics.