of the workers when the fund expired. Brazil The São Paulo State law 12.684/07 prohibits the use of any product which utilizes asbestos. This legislation has been formally upheld by the Brazilian Supremo Tribunal Federal. Canada Since the 1980s, Canada has not permitted crocidolite asbestos to be used and has had limitations on certain uses of other types of asbestos, notably in some construction materials and textiles. In late 2011, Canada's remaining two asbestos mines, both located in the Province of Quebec, halted operations. The following year, Quebec's government announced a halt to asbestos mining and the federal government announced that it would end its opposition to adding chrysotile asbestos to the list of hazardous substances under the international Rotterdam Convention. In 2018, the Canadian federal government posted proposed regulations planned for implementation later that year, which would prohibit use, sale, import, and export of all forms of asbestos. Since 30 December 2018, the import, sale, and use of raw asbestos have been formally prohibited, and products containing asbestos are also banned except for certain specialized uses, such as in nuclear facilities. France France banned the use of asbestos in 1997, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld France's right to the ban in 2000. In addition, France has called for a worldwide ban. Hong Kong The import, shipment, supply of, and use of all forms of asbestos is banned in Hong Kong under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311). Before the 1980s, use of the material was common in construction, manufacturing, and shipping. The government banned the use of most asbestos products in public areas in 1978. The Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Asbestos) Special Regulation (Cap. 59X), which came into force in 1986, and the subsequent Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Asbestos) Regulation (Cap. 59AD) implemented controls on the use of asbestos in the workplace and banned the use of amphibole asbestos completely. The import of amosite or crocidolite to Hong Kong was banned in 1996 by the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311). On 4 April 2014, the Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Ordinance 2014 came into force, completely banning the import, transhipment, supply and use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos containing materials in Hong Kong by amending the existing Air Pollution Control Ordinance. India The Vision Statement on Environment and Human Health of the Government of India states "Alternatives to asbestos may be used to the