Canadian international merchandise trade, January 2026

Released: 2026-03-12

In January, Canada's merchandise exports decreased 4.7%, while imports were down 1.1%. As a result, Canada's merchandise trade deficit with the world widened from $1.3 billion in December to $3.6 billion in January.

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

Exports of passenger cars and light trucks fall sharply

After rising 2.5% in December, total exports were down 4.7% in January, the largest percentage decline since April 2025. In January 2026, decreases were observed in 6 of the 11 product sections. In real (or volume) terms, total exports declined 5.8%.

Chart 2 
Contribution to the monthly change in exports, by product, January 2026

Exports of motor vehicles and parts fell 21.2% to $5.4 billion in January, the lowest level since September 2021. Exports of passenger cars and light trucks (-32.5%) saw the largest decline, mainly due to lower motor vehicle production in Canada in January 2026. Changes in the models produced resulted in prolonged seasonal production stoppages in January, which strongly affected exports of passenger cars and light trucks.

Chart 3 
Exports of passenger cars and light trucks and imports of motor vehicle engines and motor vehicle parts

Following a 17.9% increase in December, exports of metal and non-metallic mineral products were down 8.0% in January. As was the case in December, exports of unwrought gold, silver, and platinum group metals, and their alloys—a category largely composed of unwrought gold—contributed the most to the monthly movement in January (-12.6%). This decrease was mainly the result of lower shipments of unwrought gold to the United Kingdom.

After posting a strong increase in December to close a record year in 2025, exports of aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts decreased 16.0% in January. As in December, exports of aircraft (-22.7%) and aircraft engines, parts and other transportation equipment (-7.9%) contributed the most to the monthly variation in this product section in January. For both product groupings, lower exports to the United States were observed.

Chart 4 
Exports of aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts

Higher exports of energy products (+4.1%) partially offset the overall decline in exports in January. Exports of natural gas (+23.7%) contributed the most to the movement, on higher prices and volumes. In January, a large portion of the United States experienced extreme winter conditions, increasing demand for Canadian natural gas. Exports of crude oil (+1.8%), which were up for a third consecutive month, also contributed to the increase in January.

Imports of motor vehicles and parts down

In January, total imports fell 1.1%. Overall, decreases were observed in 7 of the 11 product sections. In real (or volume) terms, total imports were down 2.2%.

Chart 5 
Contribution to the monthly change in imports, by product, January 2026

Imports of motor vehicles and parts decreased 4.5% in January. Imports of motor vehicle engines and parts (-8.3%) posted the largest decline, coinciding with lower motor vehicle production in Canada due to atypical production stoppages in January. After rising 11.4% in December, imports of passenger cars and light trucks (-3.6%) also contributed to the decline in this product section in January, mainly on lower imports from Mexico and the Netherlands.

Imports of electronic and electrical equipment and parts fell 3.6% in January. The largest contributor to the decrease was imports of communication, and audio and video equipment (-9.9%), driven by lower imports of smartphones from China and the United States in January. These declines occurred amid the semiconductor chip supply issues affecting several industries, including the communication device manufacturing sector.

Imports of industrial machinery, equipment and parts (+3.4%) partly offset the overall decline in January, mainly on higher imports of other industry specific manufacturing machinery (+53.1%). The shipment of modules and equipment from China for the construction of liquefied natural gas production infrastructure in British Columbia drove the increase in imports in this product group in January.

Trade surplus with the United States narrows while the deficit with other countries widens

Exports to the United States decreased 3.8% in January, while imports from the United States fell 3.4%. As a result, Canada's merchandise trade surplus with the United States narrowed slightly from $5.7 billion in December to $5.4 billion in January.

Chart 6 
Merchandise trade with the United States

After reaching a record high in December, exports to countries other than the United States were down 6.5% in January. The decline was mostly due to lower shipments of unwrought gold to the United Kingdom. Imports from countries other than the United States increased 2.1% in January, due in part to higher imports of industrial machinery from China. Canada's trade deficit with countries other than the United States widened from $7.0 billion in December to $9.0 billion in January.

Chart 7 
Merchandise trade with countries other than the United States

Chart 8 
International merchandise trade balance

Revisions to December merchandise export and import data

Imports ($66.9 billion) as well as exports ($65.6 billion) reported in December were both essentially unchanged in the current reference month's release.

Monthly trade in services

In January, monthly service exports decreased 1.1% to $19.8 billion. Meanwhile, imports of services were up 1.8% to $19.9 billion.

When international trade in goods and services are combined, exports decreased 3.9% to $82.3 billion in January, while imports were down 0.4% to $86.0 billion. Canada's total trade deficit with the world went from $860 million in December to $3.8 billion in January.

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).