What is Canada's main export?
When most people think of Canadian exports, a few things immediately come to mind: Ryan Renyolds, maple syrup, back bacon, and NHL hockey players. But what are the leading Canadian exports? Are they movie stars and tree-derived sweets? Not quite, but they're just as essential to your everyday life.
1 - Crude Petroleum
Canada’s #1 export is crude oil. Crude petroleum primarily comes from the Canadian province of Alberta, where it makes up 15.7% of all exports in 2019. The vast majority of it is exported all over the world.
2 - Cars
While you’ve never heard of a Canadian car brand, you’ve almost certainly grabbed a ride in a vehicle made there. Chrysler, GM, Honda, Ford, and Toyota all have factories in Canada. Over 1.4 Million cars are assembled in Canada every year. Popular models made in Canada include the Dodge Challenger, Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, and even the ubiquitous Honda Civic. Most auto manufacturing in Canada happens in Southern Ontario.
3 - Gold
While gold is the third-largest export from Canada, Canada is the 5th largest gold-producing country globally. More likely than not, the ring on your finger or phone in your pocket has Canadian gold in it now. A massive country, Canada is rich in mineral resources. Canadian mining companies operate worldwide, but they started by finding rich deposits at home.
4 - Refined Petroleum
Not only does Canada produce crude oil, but it also makes it into the finished product. Most of Canada’s largest refineries are in Alberta. Everything from motor oil to plastics to the propane in your BBQ, can come from Canadian refineries.
5 - Car Parts
In order to support its vast car manufacturing industry, there are dozens of auto parts manufacturers in Canada. Magna International of Aurora Ontario is one of the largest, with annual revenue surpassing 50 Billion CAD annually.
6 - Petroleum Gas
Canadian refining doesn’t just stop at car oil and plastics. The very stuff that fuels your Canadian-made car is refined here too.
7 - Pharmaceuticals
About 2% of the world's pharmaceuticals are made and developed in Canada. 64% of these exports go to the United States. Canada does a severe amount of research and development in this space. A great example is AbCellera, a BC-based pharmaceutical company that uses innovative new antibody technologies to fight diseases.
8 - Planes, Helicopters and Spacecraft
Remember pictures of the Space Shuttle and how it used to have a big white arm to grab satellites and move cargo? The Canadarm is a result of cutting-edge Canadian development in the aerospace sector. MDA in Brampton, Ontario, builds advanced robotics and satellites and is a significant contributor to space programs worldwide. Canada makes Airplanes too; Bombardier, based in Quebec, is a leading producer of regional and corporate airliners.
9 - Lumber
Canada is a massive producer of timber. The next time you see at 2x4 at a lumber yard, it’s probably from a great Canadian forest. Logging has a long and storied history in Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia are all major timber producers. Where there’s wood, there is also paper, and Canadian paper companies keep bathrooms, kitchens, and offices stocked.
10 - Wheat
Wheat production is a hugely important product in Canada's prairie provinces. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba all have long histories of wheat production. Canadian wheat is important for bread, livestock feed, and pasta.
So what’s the bottom line?
Canada is a powerhouse producer of some essential things we need in our day-to-day lives. From the fuel that powers our cars to the cars themselves and the parts inside them. We wear Canadian gold on our fingers. When we’re sick, more likely than not, it's a Canadian pharmaceutical helping us to get better. Canadian aircraft cross the world every day, and way above satellites monitor weather conditions, forest fires and provide other critical information to keep us safe. You can find timber from Canadian forests holding up homes across North America. And so important it made number 11, Canadian wheat is found in bread and pasta worldwide.
Canadian exports help to power the world. While you might not be able to pin a brand name to most of them, Canadian businesses are hard at work producing some of the staples of your day-to-day life.