Canadian international merchandise trade, June 2025

Released: 2025-08-05

In June, Canada's merchandise imports were up 1.4%, while exports increased 0.9%. As a result, Canada's merchandise trade deficit with the world widened from $5.5 billion in May to $5.9 billion in June.

Due to the implementation of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) digital initiative, estimates were added to the reference months from November 2024 to June 2025. Please see the Note to readers below for more information.

Consult the "International trade monthly interactive dashboard" to explore the most recent results of Canada's international trade in an interactive format.

Chart 1 
Merchandise exports and imports

One-time high-value import behind increase in June

Total imports were up 1.4% in June, the first increase in four months. The gain was in large part the result of an increase in imports of industrial machinery, equipment and parts, for which a one-time high-value shipment was reported in June. Excluding this product section, total imports were down 1.9%. Overall, increases were observed in 5 of the 11 product sections. In real (or volume) terms, total imports were up 1.5% in June.

Chart 2 
Contribution to the monthly change in imports, by product, June 2025

Imports of industrial machinery, equipment and parts (+27.7%) were by far the largest contributor to the overall increase in total imports in June. This was primarily because of an imports increase of over $2.0 billion in the logging, construction, mining, and oil and gas field machinery and equipment product group. This gain was attributable to the high-value import of a module destined for an oil project off the coast of Newfoundland.

Chart 3 
Imports of industrial machinery, equipment and parts

Following two consecutive monthly declines, imports of motor vehicles and parts were up 2.9% in June. Imports of passenger cars and light trucks (+6.9%) increased the most, largely on higher imports from Mexico. Partially offsetting this gain were lower imports of motor vehicle engines and motor vehicle parts (-4.8%), which were down amid declining motor vehicle production in Canada.

Chart 4 
Imports and exports of passenger cars and light trucks

Lower imports of consumer goods (-4.8%) partially offset the overall import gain in June. After posting an increase in May that was driven by higher imports of video game consoles, imports of miscellaneous goods and supplies (-10.8%) were down the most in June. Imports of pharmaceutical products (-8.8%), which were up in May, also contributed to the monthly decline in June, with lower imports from Ireland, the United States and Belgium.

Imports of metal and non-metallic mineral products were down 7.8% in June, in large part because of a decrease in imports of unwrought gold, silver, and platinum group metals and their alloys (-63.7%). Lower imports of unwrought gold from the United States were behind the decrease in June, following elevated gold imports from that country in April and May.

Please see the Note to readers below for more information on the impacts of the CARM digital initiative on Canada's import statistics.

Total exports up for a second consecutive month

After increasing 2.0% in May, total exports rose 0.9% in June. These two consecutive monthly increases followed the decline in April (-11.3%), the strongest decrease reported in five years, amid the implementation of tariffs on imports of Canadian goods in the United States. However, when comparing the first six months of the year with the same period in 2024, total exports were up 2.2% in 2025, largely because of strong results in the first quarter of the year. In June, 6 of the 11 product sections posted increases. Higher prices contributed to the monthly increase in exports; in real (or volume) terms, total exports were down 0.4% in June.

Chart 5 
Contribution to the monthly change in exports, by product, June 2025

Exports of energy products (+3.8%) contributed the most to the increase in total exports in June; this was the first monthly gain for the product section since January. Exports of crude oil (+3.6%) increased the most, mainly on higher prices. Market prices rose in June, in part because of rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Exports of refined petroleum energy products (+19.0%) also increased in June, mainly on higher exports of diesel to the United States. Higher prices also contributed to the growth in exports of refined petroleum energy products.

Exports of farm, fishing and intermediate food products rose 6.7% in June, with widespread gains observed among the subcategories. Exports of live animals (+41.6%) increased for a second consecutive month, with these gains partially offsetting a large decline in April. Higher exports of cattle to the United States contributed to this growth. Exports of canola (+19.1%) and other crop products (+6.4%) also increased in June.

Chart 6 
Exports of live animals

The overall increase in total exports in June was partly offset by a 3.4% decrease in exports of metal and non-metallic mineral products. The decline was mainly the result of a 5.0% reduction in exports of unwrought gold, silver, and platinum group metals and their alloys, a category largely composed of unwrought gold. Following a strong increase in May, exports of unwrought gold to the United Kingdom decreased and were behind the decline in June. Notable decreases were also observed in exports of unwrought aluminum (-11.3%) and iron and steel products (-11.4%) in June, which coincided with higher tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imposed by the United States. Both products have posted steep declines in recent months.

Chart 7 
Exports of steel and aluminum

Also down in June were exports of motor vehicles and parts (-4.2%). Exports of passenger cars and light trucks (-8.9%) decreased the most, dropping below the $4.0 billion mark for the first time since November 2022. The decline in June 2025 marked the third consecutive monthly decrease for exports of passenger cars and light trucks, which coincided with a recent slowdown in Canadian auto production.

Trade with the United States increases in June

Exports to the United States increased 3.1% in June. However, on a year-over-year basis, exports to the United States were 12.5% lower compared with June 2024. Meanwhile, following three consecutive monthly decreases, imports from the United States were up 2.6% in June 2025. The increase in imports in June was in large part the result of the import of a module for an offshore oil project. Canada's merchandise trade surplus with the United States widened from $3.6 billion in May to $3.9 billion in June.

Chart 8 
Merchandise trade with the United States

Exports to countries other than the United States decrease

After reaching a record high in May, exports to countries other than the United States were down 4.1% in June, representing the first decline since February. When compared with the same month in 2024, exports to destinations other than the United States were up 14.7% in June 2025. Lower exports to the United Kingdom (unwrought gold) and Japan (iron ore) were partially offset by higher exports to China (canola and copper ore). Meanwhile, imports from countries other than the United States edged down 0.3% in June. Canada's trade deficit with countries other than the United States widened from $9.1 billion in May to $9.8 billion in June.

Chart 9 
Merchandise trade with countries other than the United States

Chart 10 
International merchandise trade balance

Following a record high in the first quarter, total exports down sharply in the second quarter

Following an increase of 4.2% to reach a record high in the first quarter, total exports declined 12.8% in the second quarter. Compared with the second quarter of 2024, exports were down 5.4% in the second quarter of 2025. Exports of energy products (-19.5%), motor vehicles and parts (-16.6%) and consumer goods (-16.6%) were the largest contributors to the decline in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, quarterly imports decreased 3.9% in the second quarter. Lower imports of motor vehicles and parts (-11.9%) and consumer goods (-4.0%) were partially offset by higher imports of metal and non-metallic mineral products (+18.6%).

Canada's quarterly merchandise trade deficit went from $388 million in the first quarter to a record $19.0 billion in the second quarter.

In constant dollars (calculated using 2017 chained dollars), real exports were down 9.0% in the second quarter, while real imports decreased 1.5%.

Revisions to May merchandise export and import data

Imports in May, originally reported at $66.7 billion in the previous release, were essentially unchanged in the current reference month's release. Exports in May, originally reported at $60.8 billion in the previous release, were revised to $61.2 billion in the current reference month's release.

Monthly trade in services

In June, monthly service exports were up 1.0% to $18.0 billion. Meanwhile, imports of services edged down 0.2% to $18.7 billion.

When international trade in goods and services are combined, exports increased 0.9% to $79.7 billion in June, while imports were up 1.0% to $86.3 billion. As a result, Canada's total trade deficit with the world went from $6.4 billion in May to $6.5 billion in June.

Products

The International trade statistics portal is now available on the Statistics Canada website.

The product "International trade monthly interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is now available. This interactive dashboard is a comprehensive analytical tool that presents monthly changes in Canada's international merchandise trade data on a balance-of-payments basis, fully supporting the information presented every month in the Daily release.

The product "The International Trade Explorer" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is now available online.

The updated "Canada and the World Statistics Hub" (Catalogue number13-609-X) is available online. This product illustrates the nature and extent of Canada's economic and financial relationship with the world using interactive charts and tables. It provides easy access to information on trade, investment, employment and travel between Canada and a number of countries, including the United States, Mexico, China, Japan, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.

The product "Canada's international trade and investment country fact sheet" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The online Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database is no longer available. It has been replaced by the Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application (Catalogue number71-607-X), a modern tool that provides trade data users with a number of enhancements.

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).