2023 Report for Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour

A Report for Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act
This report is filed in compliance with Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (“the Act”). This statement covers the activities of Kubota Canada Ltd. (KCL) during the year ended 31 December 2023.

Structure
KCL is a Canadian corporation with its registered office located at 1155 Kubota Drive, Pickering, Ontario, L1X 0H4. KCL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kubota Corporation (KBT), a Japanese multinational company headquartered in Osaka, Japan. KBT is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. We are recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of compact engines and produce and distribute agricultural, construction, and outdoor power equipment globally.

To support KCL operations, we have a team of 250 employees in Canada.

Activities
The major function of KCL is the marketing and distribution of Kubota-engineered and supplied products in Canada. However, KCL imports some goods into Canada as well. Our product range includes agriculture, construction and outdoor power equipment.

Additionally, we offer retail finance solutions for these equipment types to both businesses and consumers. KCL carries out its function with the help of authorised dealers across Canada. We currently have 137 dealerships across Canada.

Supply Chain
Our main suppliers are KBT and Kubota Group manufacturers in various countries, including Japan, the United States of America, Germany, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, and Thailand.

KCL controls its warehouse operations and logistics for delivery of products to dealerships in Canada.

Policies and Due diligence
KBT has a number of policies that apply to KCL, including the “Kubota Group Human Rights Policy”, the “Kubota Group Charter for Action”, the “Kubota Group Code of Conduct” as well as the “Kubota Group CSR Procurement Guidelines”.

  • Kubota Group’s Human Rights Policy outlines KCL’s commitment to respect internationally recognized human rights in line with the International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Right at Work, including the prohibition of child labour and forced labour.
    This policy is accessible here: https://www.kubota.com/sustainability/society/rights/index.html
  • Both Kubota Group’s Group Charter for Action and Code of Conduct underscore KCL’s commitment to conducting its corporate activities with high moral standards and respecting human rights.
    This policy is accessible here: https://www.kubota.com/sustainability/employee/conduct/index.html
  • Kubota Group’s CSR Procurement Guidelines apply to all Kubota Group’s business partners, including KCL’s business partners. These Guidelines request that KCL’s business partners not only comply with laws and corporate ethics, but also that they base their activities on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    This includes the prohibition on the use of forced labour and child labour by KCL business partners.
    These Guidelines are available here: https://www.kubota.com/sustainability/society/procure/index.html

 
The parts of its business and supply chains that carry a risk of forced labour or child labour being used and the steps it has taken to assess and manage that risk
KCL recognizes the potential forced labour risks associated with its business operations and supply chains, both domestically in Canada as well as internationally. KCL is committed to understanding and addressing risks of forced labour and child labour in its supply chains and plans to implement measures to begin more accurately assessing these risks.

The Kubota Group, including its manufacturing companies, assessed the potential human rights risks in its business activities and across supply chains, including assessing risks of forced labour and child labour. Only certain Kubota Group companies participated. However, KCL sources many of its products from KBT and other Kubota Group companies and so the risks identified by KBT and other Kubota Group companies also apply to KCL.

The human rights risk assessment process is available online at
https://www.kubota.com/sustainability/society/rights/index.html.

Measures taken to remediate any forced labour or child labour
KCL has not identified any cases of forced labour or child labour in our supply chains. Therefore, KCL has not had to take any measures to remediate forced labour or child labour in our supply chains.

Measures taken to remediate the loss of income to the most vulnerable families that results from any measure taken to eliminate the use of forced labour or child labour in its activities and supply chains
KCL has not identified any cases of forced labour or child labour in our supply chains. Therefore, KCL has not had to take any measures to remediate loss of income that resulted from measures taken to eliminate forced labour or child labour in our supply chains.

Training
KCL did not have training relating to forced labour and child labour in its last financial year. However, KCL is currently planning on implementing training on preventing forced labour and child labour for its employees in the future.

Assessing Effectiveness
KCL is considering a variety of measures it may implement to in order to assess effectiveness of its measures to prevent forced labour in its supply chain, which may include tracking key performance indicators related to forced labour employee training and distribution of KCL’s CSR Procurement Guidelines to KCL vendors.

Consultation and Approval
This statement was prepared by KCL on its own behalf. KCL will continue to monitor and report on the effectiveness of this statement to the Board of Directors of KCL.

This statement was approved by the Board of Directors of Kubota Canada Ltd. on 28 May 2024.

Attestation
In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and in particular section 11 thereof, I attest that I have reviewed the information contained in the report for the entity or entities listed above. Based on my knowledge, and having exercised reasonable diligence, I attest that the information in the report is true, accurate and complete in all material respects for the purposes of the Act, for the reporting year listed above.

Yannick Montagano Signature
Yannick Montagano
President
Kubota Canada Ltd.
I have the authority to bind KCL.