A strike by workers at British Columbia marine terminals began on July 1 and disrupted regular operations for more than 13 days.
Canada’s international merchandise trade, especially with Asian countries, relies heavily on these ports to move goods. Impacts on trade activity are anticipated for the July reference month, particularly for containerized shipments. Impacts are also possible in future months as freight backlogs are cleared.
The infographic below provides additional context on this situation and the potential impacts on Canadian international merchandise trade.
Description - British Columbia Port Strike
British Columbia Port Strike
Potential impact on Canadian international merchandise trade
- Strikes at British Columbia marine port terminals affected normal operations for more than 13 days in July 2023
- Containerized shipments are expected to be affected in particular, as some exports of bulk goods continued throughout the strike
- Not all cargo handled at these ports is within the scope of Canadian international merchandise trade based on international compilation standards
- Examples include shipments between foreign countries that only transit through Canada, and shipments between two Canadian locations
Canadian International Merchandise Trade (Customs Basis)
Imports associated with British Columbia marine ports in 2022: $36.9 billion, or 5.0% of Canada’s total imports by value.
Top three trading partners
China: $17.2 billion
United States: $2.5 billion
Vietnam: $2.3 billion
Top three product categories
Clothing, footwear and accessories: $4.3 billion
Basic and semi-finished iron and steel products: $3.1 billion
Other industry-specific manufacturing machinery: $2.1 billion
Exports associated with British Columbia marine ports in 2022: $71.9 billion, or 9.2% of Canada’s total exports by value.
Top three trading partners
China: $21.6 billion
Japan: $14.7 billion
South Korea: $6.4 billion
Top three product categories
Coal: $13.7 billion
Potash: $7.9 billion
Wheat: $6.6 billion
Related products
Data tables
International merchandise trade by province, commodity, and Principal Trading Partners
Canadian international merchandise trade by province and country, and by product sections
Data visualizations
Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application
The International Trade Explorer
Previous release
Canadian international merchandise trade, June 2023
Definitions, sources, and methods
2201— Canadian International Merchandise Trade (Customs Basis)
Variant of NAPCS Canada 2017 Version 1.0 - Merchandise import and export accounts
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).