Join MP Jenny Kwan's Fight to Stop Canadian Weapons from Fuelling War

Canada must close the loopholes that let our arms end up in the hands of human rights abusers.

Jenny Kwan is closing Canada’s “arms embargo loophole” that allows Canadian arms to flow through the US without accountability. Currently, Canadian weapons can reach global conflicts, contributing to human rights abuses despite international law.

Her Private Member’s Bill strengthens monitoring and disclosure standards to prevent Canadian arms from being used in war crimes or harming civilians. This legislation reflects Canada’s commitment to peace, justice, and human rights, including situations of impunity such as in Gaza being perpetrated by Israel.

✍️ Sign the Parliamentary Petition →

Canada Must Not Be Complicit in War and Repression

Right now, loopholes in Canada’s arms export laws allow Canadian-made weapons and components to end up in the hands of governments accused of war crimes and human rights abuses.

That’s wrong.

On September 19th, Jenny introduced a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to close these dangerous loopholes and make sure Canadian weapons are never used to harm civilians or fuel repression abroad. There will be a vote in Parliament in February 2026. We need your help to mobilize your friends and neighbours!

The Problem

When Canada joined the Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, it left out one big exception — exports to the United States.

The U.S. is the largest buyer of Canadian military goods. Once there, those Canadian-made parts can be built into weapons systems and shipped to countries accused of bombing civilians or violating human rights — with no transparency, no accountability, and no oversight.

Reports from Amnesty International and Arms Embargo Now have shown that Canadian components have been used in conflicts like Gaza and Yemen.

This must stop.

What Jenny’s Bill Will Do

✅ Apply export controls to all arms, parts, and technology — no exceptions.
 Remove exemptions for the U.S. and other countries.
 Ban blanket export permits for weapons and munitions.
 Require end-use certificates to prevent diversion to human rights abusers.
 Mandate annual public reports to Parliament on Canada’s compliance with the Arms Trade Treaty.

Jenny's Private Member's Bill is Supported By:

Oxfam Canada, Canadians for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Independent Jewish Voices, National Council of Canadian Muslims, and the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council — all standing together for peace, accountability, and human rights.

 

Latest Update

At a news conference in Ottawa, a coalition of civil society organizations present a report detailing Canada’s alleged role as a “weapons corridor” for Israel.

Speaking with reporters are Rachel Small from World Beyond War, Haneen Muhanna from the Palestinian Youth Movement, and Alex Paterson from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. They are joined by NDP MP Jenny Kwan.

Click link to watch the press conference video - https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/coalition-presents-report-on-canada-israel-arms-flow--novmeber-18-2025?id=455a98e0-c56c-4e25-aab2-a04ef2100e52

A recent report revealed Canada's continued shipment of military equipment to Israel via US weapons factories, despite Foreign Minister Anita Anand's announcement in August about "freezing all existing permits in 2024 that could have allowed military components to be used in Gaza."

The report titled, "Exposing the U.S. Loophole: How Canadian F-35 Parts and Explosives Reach Israel," stated that the evidence it provided "details hundreds of shipments from Canadian military manufacturers to the U.S. weapons factories that manufacture Israel's key warplanes, bombs, and artillery shells."

"The report also exposes, for the first time, Canada's role as a vital transit corridor for hundreds of shipments of European-made TNT en route to U.S. bomb-makers, and damning evidence of Canadian F-35 components being shipped on to Israel mere days after arriving at U.S. facilities," it said.

According to the data provided, at least "34 shipments of military aircraft components sent by American Lockheed factories to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Israeli Air Force Base, and Israeli weapons manufacturers between April 2024 and August 2025 – immediately after receiving hundreds of matching shipments from Canadian manufacturers."

Meanwhile, "360 additional aircraft part shipments from Canadian manufacturers to Lockheed Martin's F-35 assembly facility in Fort Worth, Texas," were sent between September 2023 and August 2025.

It said that "150 shipments of Canadian explosives and flammable materials from General Dynamics facilities in Valleyfield and Repentigny, Quebec, to the U.S. Army Ammunition Plants that manufacture 2000-pound MK-84 bombs, 155mm artillery shells, and 120mm tank rounds for export to Israel.”

The report revealed that at least 433 shipments of TNT manufactured in Poland were sent to Quebec between October 2023 and November 2025, which were then transported to Canada and then to Israel.

It claimed that the TNT sent was "the 2000-pound MK-84 and I-2000 Penetrator bombs that Israel drops on Gaza."

Click link to read the news story - https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/report-reveals-canadas-continued-role-as-weapons-transit-corridor-for-israel/3747382#

Hundreds of shipments of explosives and fighter jet components have made their way from Canada to Israel by passing through the U.S. over the last two years, a new report by a group of four NGOs alleges, examining export data and U.S. Department of Defence contracts.

"These exports are bypassing all of Canada’s export controls because of the way they’re routed through the U.S., and nonetheless, they’re still making it to Israel and directly supporting Israel’s capacity to carry out war crimes in Gaza," said Rachel Small, a Canadian organizer with the World Beyond War activist group.

The report outlines 34 shipments of military aircraft components between April 2024 and August of this year that it says were sent to U.S. facilities belonging to Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35 fighter jet, before being transferred "just a few days later" to Israel.

The report also mentions 360 additional aircraft part shipments to an F-35 assembly facility in Fort Worth, Texas, 150 shipments of explosives from two Quebec facilities belonging to General Dynamics to the U.S., and 433 shipments of TNT sent from a manufacturer in Poland through to the U.S., and eventually Israel, after transiting via Quebec's Port of Saguenay.

Click link to read the news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/politics-jet-fighters-bombs-canada-us-israel-9.6982606

NDP MP Jenny Kwan speaks with reporters on Parliament Hill after tabling a private member’s bill. The legislation is aimed at closing loopholes in Canadian law related to arms exports.

Kwan is joined by arms control experts and representatives from civil society organizations, which includes Oxfam-Québec, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Independent Jewish Voices Canada and the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council.

Click link to watch the press conference video - https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/ndp-mp-jenny-kwan-discusses-arms-exports-bill--september-19-2025?id=755fc44b-a0b7-4bb1-b972-855c673ec354

The new Parliament met from May 26 to June 20, 2025. In that time the new Liberal minority government presented a Throne speech and introduced eight Bills.

The Throne Speech is supposed to lay out the government’s priorities in a new Session of Parliament. But it was notable not so much for what was in it as for what was missing.

During the election campaign, of course, people were talking about their concerns with respect to President Donald Trump, his tariff threats and anti-immigrant actions. While people said Canada should absolutely take action together in dealing with the United States, there were also so many other top priority issues that the government ignored in their throne speech.

There was no mention of renters. In the midst of a housing crisis - there was no discussion of building the social housing or co-op housing that is so desperately needed. What’s even more concerning is the fact that, when asked if housing process need to go down, the Minister of Housing - Gregor Robinson said “No.”(link: https://www.jennykwanndp.ca/ctv_new_housing_minister_says_he_ll_leverage_his_past_as_vancouver_mayor_in_new_role?recruiter_id=111).

There was no mention of funding for public transit, nor any mention of desperately needed support for mental health or action to help people secure a family doctor. There was no mention of action to mitigate and fight wildfires or provide relief for affected people. No mention of foreign interference. No mention of peace and resolving conflict. No mention of the devastating crisis in Gaza. Seniors and their concerns were not mentioned in the throne speech.

Women were not mentioned in the throne speech. Issues surrounding gender equality and equality for people with disabilities were not mentioned in the throne speech.

You can see my response to the throne speech at this link: https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/house/sitting-6/hansard#Int-13081121

Despite not having party status, I was able to successfully move a sub-amendment to the Throne speech by ensuring that the rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected. New Democrats will keep pressing the government – and all opposition parties – to live up to this promise.

At a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, NDP MP Jenny Kwan outlines her private members’ bill aimed at closing loopholes in Canadian law related to arms exports.Joining her at this event are Michael Bueckert (Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East) and James Kafieh (Palestinian Canadian Congress) as well as lawyer James Yap. (September 4, 2025)

Click link to watch the Ottawa press conference - https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/arms-exports-ndp-mp-jenny-kwan-discusses-private-members-bill?id=5b99d697-c332-4a31-90bb-feab94562721

Kwan said Ottawa needs to be much more transparent about its arms exports generally, and apply the same scrutiny to exports made through the U.S. that it would for arms destined for any other country.

“Every bullet that leaves Canada and lands in the hands of human-rights abusers is a betrayal of international law, of our commitments (and) of Canadians who want no part in war crimes,” she said.

Kwan said the NDP still wants a full arms embargo on Israel and that her bill is meant “to advance what we can.”

Ottawa’s arms exports to Israel have sparked controversy in recent months. Advocacy groups and 32 senators argued recently that Canada’s restrictions on arms reaching Gaza are not stringent enough and risk making it complicit in war crimes.

The government maintains that it has kept to its commitments and is not afraid to suspend or prosecute companies who breach the rules.

Israel has pushed back on the existing restrictions and insists that it is following international law in its military campaign against Hamas, launched in response to the group’s deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Click link to read the news story - https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2025/09/04/ndp-pitches-tighter-arms-controls-citing-u-s-loophole-for-arms-exports-to-israel

Today at the National Press Gallery in Ottawa, Jenny Kwan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, was joined by civil society and human rights organizations announcing her intention to introduce a Private Member’s Bill in the upcoming Parliamentary session to finally close the loophole in Canada’s arms export laws. For years, Canadian governments have promised accountability, yet Canadian-made weapons, bullets, and military components continue to flow into the world’s bloodiest conflicts—often through the back door of the U.S., including for use by the Israeli government in Gaza and the West Bank.

Are you ready to take action?

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