Biggest Exporting Industries in Canada in 2020

1. Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction in Canada

Exports for 2020: $97.1B

The Oil Drilling and Gas Extraction industry in Canada is highly dependent on global market prices of crude oil and natural gas. The industry experienced booming growth in the years leading up to the reporting period, with rising prices leading to significant growth in investment. In turn, industry production of natural gas and oil has risen consistently over the past decade. However, the prices of both commodities plummeted between late 2014 and 2016, resulting in significant contractions in industry revenue and slashed capital investment. While prices have since recovered and industry revenue has grown steadily since reaching its nadir in 2016,... Learn More

2. SUV & Light Truck Manufacturing in Canada

Exports for 2020: $32.3B

Over the five years to 2019, revenue for the SUV and Light Truck Manufacturing industry in Canada is projected to increase, bolstered by a strong US economy where the majority of industry goods are sold. With the export market accounting for nearly 80.0% of industry revenue in 2019, of which more than 95.0% is destined for the United States, industry operators are heavily reliant on US economic conditions. Consequently, as the US economy continues to grow strongly, industry operators are expected to benefit. The industry is expected to expand at an annualized rate of 2.2% to $40.8 billion over the... Learn More

3. Petroleum Refining in Canada

Exports for 2020: $20.6B

Revenue for the Petroleum Refining industry in Canada has been volatile over the five years to 2020. Crude oil is the primary input into industry products, and therefore, its price is the primary driver of industry revenue. Revenue surged in the years leading up to the reporting period in the wake of rising oil prices, although following their peak, industry revenue began to fall slowly before the world price of oil plummeted in 2015, resulting in significant declines in industry revenue. A subsequent price recovery in 2017 helped the industry rebound by double-digits during the following two-year period. Overall, industry... Learn More

4. Aircraft, Engine & Parts Manufacturing in Canada

Exports for 2020: $13.6B

The Aircraft, Engine and Parts Manufacturing industry in Canada has expanded for most of the five years to 2019, despite volatile profitability. Industry operators manufacture aircraft, aircraft engines and related components, structures and parts. In particular, the Canadian industry is a leader in manufacturing business aircraft, commercial planes with less than 150 seats, civil helicopters, regional and small engines and various aerospace components. As the global economy has grown, led by emerging market growth, demand for air travel has increased. Consequently, demand for industry products has climbed, bringing the industry to new heights. Overall, industry revenue is expected to rise... Learn More

5. Aluminum Manufacturing in Canada

Exports for 2020: $11.4B

The Aluminum Manufacturing industry in Canada produces a variety of aluminum products, ranging from alumina to finished aluminum sheet and foil. Aluminum is lightweight, ductile, corrosion-resistant, highly conductive and recyclable, making it useful in an array of applications. For instance, aluminum sheet is a major input into automobiles and airplanes, while aluminum foil and rolled sheet is commonly used in containers and packaging material. Exports to the United States consistently generate more than three-fifths of industry revenue, making domestic operators highly dependent on international trade activity and conditions in US manufacturing and construction markets.

Although global aluminum prices dropped significantly in... Learn More

6. Copper, Zinc & Lead Refining in Canada

Exports for 2020: $11.2B

The Copper, Zinc and Lead Refining industry in Canada smelts ores extracted by upstream miners and refines nonferrous metals into forms that are further processed by downstream metal manufacturers. Some of the industry’s largest operators such as Glencore PLC are vertically integrated, processing their own mined output. The industry’s highest-grossing products are copper, nickel, zinc and gold. Industry product prices are closely tied to global supply conditions in upstream mining industries as well as demand from construction and manufacturing markets, which are a major destination for many industry goods. While prices for individual goods can be highly volatile, the number of metals used... Learn More

7. Car & Automobile Manufacturing in Canada

Exports for 2020: $10.9B

Over the five years to 2020, the Car and Automobile Manufacturing industry in Canada has struggled to recover as many automakers have moved operations abroad. Dissuaded by high labour costs in Canada, many automakers have shifted investments toward Mexico and the United States. As a result, output has fallen from Canada's biggest car producers while remaining operations have increasingly focused on vehicle production that falls outside of the industry, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Also, exports, which account for more than 85.0% of industry revenue in 2020, have decreased in recent years due to less production capacity. Import penetration... Learn More

8. Mineral & Phosphate Mining in Canada

Exports for 2020: $10.2B

The Mineral and Phosphate Mining industry in Canada produces a wide variety of nonmetallic mineral products, but is largely dominated by the production of potash. Canada is the world's largest producer and exporter of potash, which is a primary input for fertilizer manufacturers worldwide. In 2016, the price of potash fell significantly due to price competition resulting from the breakup of the Belarusian Potash Company, a major exporting business that contributed to the control of global potash markets. Prices for many materials have recovered since then, with industry revenue forecast to grow 17.3% in 2019 alone. Overall, IBISWorld expects industry... Learn More

9. Sawmills & Wood Production in Canada

Exports for 2020: $8.7B

The Sawmills and Wood Production industry in Canada has experienced consistent revenue growth over the five years to 2019. The industry has experienced complicated operating conditions due to the lingering effects of several wildfires in the area and the mountain pine beetle infestation in British Columbia that killed an estimated 58.0% of merchantable pine in the region by 2017. Further, the industry has experienced strong demand from key downstream consumers, such as the US housing market, which is the largest buyer of industry goods. Strong demand growth and limited supply has facilitated profit to grow, measured as earnings before interest and taxes, from... Learn More

10. Plastic & Resin Manufacturing in Canada

Exports for 2020: $8.2B

Operators in the Plastic and Resin Manufacturing industry in Canada primarily convert petrochemicals, such as ethylene and propylene, into resins, which are used to produce downstream plastics and adhesives with a wide variety of applications, including in automobiles and in single-use plastic bags. The industry is highly globalized and has benefited from steady growth in downstream industries, both domestically and in the United States, over the five years to 2019. However, price volatility in key inputs, such as crude oil and natural gas, has caused complicated operating conditions and has put downward pressure on prices, limiting revenue growth. IBISWorld estimates... Learn More