Canadian Survey on Interprovincial Trade, 2023

Released: 2025-02-14

The free trade of goods and services between the provinces and territories has long been an aspiration of governments in Canada. From June to October 2024, Statistics Canada conducted the Canadian Survey on Interprovincial Trade to better understand the challenges businesses faced when purchasing and selling interprovincially and internationally.

In the 12 months preceding the survey, more than two in five (41.0%) businesses in Canada purchased goods or services from suppliers operating in another province or territory, while more than one in four (26.9%) sold to customers located in another province or territory.

On average, just over one-quarter (25.4%) of the total goods or services purchased by businesses in Canada came from suppliers operating in another province or territory in the 12 months preceding the survey. Meanwhile, over one-fifth (22.1%) of the total sales of goods or services were sold to businesses in another province or territory.

Industries that are active in interprovincial trade

Businesses in wholesale trade (63.9%) and manufacturing (56.4%) industries were the most likely to purchase goods or services interprovincially in the 12 months preceding the survey. Similarly, businesses in the wholesale trade (61.9%) and manufacturing (50.8%) industries were also the most likely to sell goods or services interprovincially.

Location of businesses purchasing or selling goods and services interprovincially

Over the 12 months preceding the survey, businesses in the territories were the most likely to have purchased goods or services from another province or territory, led by businesses in Nunavut (77.0%). Conversely, businesses in Ontario (34.4%) and Quebec (33.3%) were the least likely to have purchased goods or services interprovincially.

The share of businesses selling goods or services to another province or territory ranged from 31.9% in Alberta to 12.6% in Nunavut.

Chart 1 
Share of businesses that purchased or sold goods or services interprovincially over the 12 months preceding the survey, by province and territory

Location of suppliers and customers

In the 12 months preceding the survey, over half (53.7%) of businesses who purchased goods or services interprovincially purchased them from businesses in Ontario, while approximately one in three bought from businesses in Quebec (37.3%) and British Columbia (31.3%). Concurrently, businesses were most likely to have sold to customers in Alberta (45.7%), British Columbia (45.1%) and Ontario (42.8%).

Obstacles and business strategy

The most commonly reported obstacle to interprovincial trade over the 12 months preceding the survey was the cost of transportation for both businesses purchasing (27.4%) and selling (23.2%) goods or services.

The vast majority of businesses who did not purchase (89.5%) or sell (88.2%) goods or services across provincial or territorial borders cited no need or interest in doing so.

Chart 2 
Top three obstacles experienced by businesses when purchasing goods or services from suppliers operating in another province or territory over the 12 months preceding the survey

Chart 3 
Top three obstacles experienced by businesses when selling goods or services to customers located in another province or territory over the 12 months preceding the survey

International trade

By way of comparison, 30.2% of businesses purchased goods or services from international suppliers and 14.5% sold goods or services to international customers over the 12 months preceding the survey.

Businesses in the wholesale trade (66.1%) industry were the most likely to have purchased goods or services from another country, while businesses in the manufacturing (41.9%) industry were the most likely to have sold internationally.

Businesses in British Columbia were the most likely to have both purchased (36.4%) and sold (16.9%) goods or services outside Canada.

Transportation cost was the most commonly reported obstacle for businesses who purchased (37.6%) or sold (28.4%) goods or services outside of Canada, followed by currency exchange (20.7% for businesses who purchased; 11.1% for businesses who sold).

Chart 4 
Businesses' interprovincial and international trade activities over the 12 months preceding the survey

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).