Following public criticism of a Liberal MP's bill that would have required the Minister of Health to apply U.S. law to Canadians, the Liberal government has announced in the House of Commons that it does not support the bill. Bill C-282 was introduced in November by Liberal MP Wajid Khan (Mississauga-Streetsville). It would have amended the federal Food and Drug Act by requiring export permits for pharmaceuticals. It included an obligation by the Minister of Health to determine whether the export would violate laws in the United States or other recipient countries.

Current U.S. law does not prohibit the importation of medications from Canada, but concern arose from the possibility that the U.S. may move to tighten restrictions on pharmaceuticals from Canada.

The international pharmacy industry employs thousands of Canadians directly and indirectly. Bill C-282 was criticized as a threat to Canadian industry and sovereignty and a sell-out to U.S. drug manufacturers opposed to imports from Canada.

Robert Thibault, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Health, announced in the House of Commons on December 1, “(I)t is important to highlight that the bill does not have the support of the Minister of Health, the Minister of State for Public Health nor the Minister of International Trade.” Thibault also criticized the bill because it "puts on Canada the burden of enforcing the laws of the U.S. and other countries respecting the importation of prescription drugs.

“MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster, NDP) referred to U.S. laws affecting softwood lumber and beef that 'were put into place as basically fences for Canadian exports.'

“(I)t is important to highlight that the bill does not have the support of the Minister of Health, the Minister of State for Public Health nor the Minister of International Trade.”

“Conservative MP Steven Fletcher (Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia) noted the Liberals' recent flip-flops on international pharmacy, and cited "the economic benefit of a new industry and the more than 4,000 jobs it carries with it." He added, "On October 31, the Minister of Health told CBC Television, 'I see no evidence of shortages across the country; at least no evidence has been produced to me'. A few days later, the Prime Minister said that his government would not be taking any action to shut down the Internet pharmacy industry. If that is the case and the health minister has seen no evidence of shortages, this bill is contrary to what the government has said publicly."

The Canadian international pharmacy industry employs an estimated 4000 Canadians directly and a much larger number of Canadians indirectly in supporting industries such as Canadian generic drug makers, pharmaceutical wholesalers, website development companies and computer programming firms.