Canadian international merchandise trade by mode of transport, 2023

Today, the introduction of a new data table for Canada's international merchandise trade by mode of transport offers further insight into how goods move across Canada's borders. Data by mode of transport can reveal the impact of disruptions in transportation, such as supply chain issues, labour disruptions and natural disasters. These data can be used to better inform strategic decision-making to improve not only the efficiency of supply chains and transportation systems, but also policy related to the transportation of goods.

Table 12-10-0177-01 provides a breakdown of imports and exports by road, water, air and rail, with all other modes (such as pipeline and mail) categorized in the "other" grouping. The table provides the value of trade by sections and groups of the trade variant of the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) 2022, as well as by Canada's principal trading partners. This new resource enables users to analyze detailed historical trends in Canada's international merchandise trade logistics, dating back to 1997.

Canada's imports are heavily reliant on road transportation, particularly for imports from the United States, because of the countries' shared border. Imports by road accounted for just over one-half (52.2%) of Canada's total import value in 2023, mostly from the United States. Road imports also grew rapidly following the economic downturn in 2009, almost doubling by 2019. In 2023, the value of road imports had risen by 41.4% from 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This overall growth was largely due to increases in imports in the motor vehicles and parts; industrial machinery, equipment and parts; and consumer goods sections. Imports by water also rose significantly from 2020 to 2023, on higher shipments from China, the United States, Japan and Germany.

Table 1: Sources of labour productivity growth in the business sector (average annual compound growth rates), 1980 to 2023