Canada imported US$567.4 billion worth of goods from foreign suppliers in 2022. That dollar amount results from a 23.3% increase compared to $460.1 billion during 2018.
Year over year, the overall value of products imported into Canada expanded by 15.9% from $489.7 billion in 2021.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, the Canadian dollar weakened by -0.5% against the US dollar since 2018 and fell by -3.8% from 2021 to 2022. Canada’s weaker local currency made its imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the Canadian loonie.
Canada’s Best International Trade Suppliers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 70.8% of products imported into Canada were supplied by exporters in: United States of America (35.6% of Canada’s global total), mainland China (7.5%), Mexico (5.2%), Germany (5.1%), Japan (4%), South Korea (2.8%), Vietnam (2.7%), Italy (2.2%), Taiwan (also 2.2%), United Kingdom (1.8%), Brazil (1.7%) and India (1.3%).
From a continental perspective, 55.2% of Canada’s total imports by value in 2022 were purchased from fellow North American nations United States of America and Mexico. Asian trade partners satisfied 26.5% of imports bought by Canada while 13.3% worth originated from Europe.
Smaller percentages for Canadian imports came from Latin America (3.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.3%) and Oceania (0.5%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Canada’s population of 38.7 million people, its total $567.4 billion in goods imported during 2022 translates to about $14,600 in yearly product demand from every person in the North American country. That per-capita average exceeds the $12,800 one year earlier in 2021.
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Canada’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Canada.
- Machinery including computers: US$80.2 billion (14.1% of total imports)
- Vehicles: $78.8 billion (13.9%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $53 billion (9.3%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $44.8 billion (7.9%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $22.5 billion (4%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $20 billion (3.5%)
- Gems, precious metals: $19 billion (3.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $14.5 billion (2.6%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $14.1 billion (2.5%)
- Iron, steel: $11.1 billion (2%)
Canada’s top 10 imports accounted for over three-fifths (63.1%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Canada’s spending on imported mineral fuels including oil increased at the fastest pace among the top 10 import categories, up 47.9% from 2021 to 2022. In second place were articles made from iron or steel (up 23.5%) trailed by imported vehicles (up 16.9%), electrical machinery and equipment (up 14.8%), then machinery including computers (up 13.3%).
Year over year, there were no percentage declines among Canada’s most valuable import product categories.
At the more detailed four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Canada’s 10 biggest export products by value in 2022 were cars, refined petroleum oils, automobile parts or accessories, crude oil, phone devices including smartphones, computers, medication mixes in dosage, blood fractions including antisera, then gold. Collectively, those major Canadian imports exceed one-quarter (27%) of the Canada’s overall import purchases.
For a more detailed view of imported goods at the four-digit HTS code level for the leading product categories, see the sections below.
Canada’s Top Machinery Imports
In 2022, Canadian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$11.4 billion (down -0.3% from 2021)
- Turbo-jets: $5.7 billion (up 24.5%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $4 billion (up 25.9%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $3.9 billion (up 20.3%)
- Piston engines: $3.7 billion (up 4.5%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $3.3 billion (up 8.5%)
- Machinery parts: $3.3 billion (up 16%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $3.3 billion (up 20.4%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $2.9 billion (up 17.4%)
- Temperature-change machines: $2.9 billion (up 87.5%)
Among these import subcategories, Canadian purchases of temperature-change machines (up 87.5%), heavy machinery such as bulldozers, excavators and road rollers (up 25.9%) then turbo-jets (up 24.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Canadian businesses and consumers.
Canada’s Top Vehicles Imports
In 2022, Canadian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$31.9 billion (up 14.6% from 2021)
- Trucks: $17.5 billion (up 18.6%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $17 billion (up 19.4%)
- Tractors: $4.8 billion (up 31%)
- Trailers: $4.1 billion (up 29.1%)
- Motorcycles: $958.2 million (up 23.1%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $821.4 million (up 13%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $465.7 million (down -7.1%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $429.1 million (up 28.4%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $368.4 million (up 15.3%)
Among these import subcategories, Canadian purchases of tractors (up 31.0%), trailers (up 29.1%) then bicycle plus other non-motorized cycles (up 28.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Canadian businesses and consumers.
Canada’s Top Electrical Imports
In 2022, Canadian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical goods including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$12.8 billion (up 8.2% from 2021)
- Insulated wire/cable: $4.4 billion (up 24.1%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $2.65 billion (up 31.2%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $2.58 billion (up 18.7%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $2.5 billion (up 2.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2.4 billion (up 11.4%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $2.1 billion (up 5.4%)
- Electric storage batteries: $2 billion (up 28.9%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $1.9 billion (up 22.5%)
- Electric motors, generators: $1.7 billion (up 10.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Canadian purchases of electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies (up 31.2%), electric storage batteries (up 28.9%) then insulated wire or cable (up 24.1%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electrical goods among Canadian businesses and consumers.
Canada’s Top Mineral Fuels Imports
In 2022, Canadian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$20.1 billion (up 49.6% from 2021)
- Crude oil: $16.6 billion (up 40.5%)
- Petroleum gases: $4.7 billion (up 74.6%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $1 billion (up 64.7%)
- Electrical energy: $732.2 million (up 44.8%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $711.6 million (up 56.4%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $402.7 million (up 36.6%)
- co*ke, semi-co*ke: $378.1 million (up 31.3%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $77.8 million (up 17.8%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $71.2 million (down -24.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Canadian purchases of petroleum gases (up 74.6%), coal including solid fuels made from coal (up 64.7%) then petroleum oil residues (up 56.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels-related goods among Canadian businesses and consumers.
See also Canada’s Top Trading Partners, Canada’s Top 10 Exports, Top Canadian Trade Balances and Canada’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on March 29, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 29, 2023
Imported Consumer Products, Canada’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products. Accessed on June 19, 2022
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on March 29, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 29, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 29, 2023
