Canadian exports to the US fell by 16.7pc in December compared to a year earlier as US tariffs continue to redirect export flows to other countries.
Exports to the US fell to C$44bn ($32bn) in December, down from C$53bn in the same month of 2024, Statistics Canada said Thursday. Canada meanwhile imported C$39bn worth of goods from the US in December, down from C$41bn a year earlier.
Canada's resulting trade surplus with the US shrunk to C$5.7bn in December from C$11.9bn in December 2024.
Canada was among the first countries to be targeted by US president Donald Trump's tariffs, which he has used as leverage in trade negotiations, but also to compel companies to produce more goods domestically, rather than importing from other countries.
On an annual basis, Canadian exports to the US tallied C$556bn in 2025, down 6pc from the C$590bn in full-year 2024. Imports from the US came in at C$474bn in 2025, down 3pc from the C$489bn in 2024. The resulting trade surplus was C$82bn, down 19pc from the C$101bn in 2024.
Canada's exports to non-US countries hit a record C$21bn in December, up a staggering 30pc from the same month of 2024. While each trade partner is still relatively small compared to the US, growing exports to the UK, EU and China have partially absorbed some of the declines to the US.
Statistics Canada said unwrought gold, silver and platinum group metals, and their alloys, contributed to the export increase in December, rising by 44pc from a year earlier.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney wants to pivot away from a hostile US and has vowed to double exports to other countries within 10 years. Canadian exports to the US as a percentage of all exports fell to 67.4pc in December, down from 76.2pc a year earlier and the lowest percentage since May 2020.
Meanwhile, imports from non-US countries remain elevated at C$28bn in December, but down slightly from an all-time high of C$29bn in November, which was an increase over the C$27bn in December 2024.
