Biggest Importing Industries in Canada in 2025

• 1. SUV & Light Truck Manufacturing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $66.2B

  Canadian SUV and light truck manufacturers have struggled over the past decade, particularly as automakers move production abroad. High labour costs in Canada have encouraged foreign automakers to shift production to the United States, Mexico and other low-cost regions, diminishing output. However, the remaining passenger vehicle output in Canada has shifted toward increasingly popular SUVs and light trucks, creating some growth opportunities domestically. In particular, pickup trucks have gr...

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• 2. Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $23.7B

  Oil drilling and gas extraction in Canada have grown tremendously, resulting from rising prices and additional investment in production. Oil and gas companies suffered significantly in 2020 amid the pandemic as prices drastically fell amid lockdowns. As the economy reopened, the need for oil and gas became apparent and prices skyrocketed, bolstering revenue. The Russia-Ukraine conflict further exacerbated this, causing exports to surge as foreign countries looked elsewhere to get oil and gas....

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• 3. Aircraft, Engine & Parts Manufacturing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $20.6B

  Canadian airplane, engine and parts manufacturers develop and produce planes, rotorcraft, engines and related components for civil and defense markets. 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. Bombardier leads this market, dominating business jet and charter jet markets. The industry displayed significant volatility through the...

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• 4. Petroleum Refining in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $20.1B

  Revenue for the Canadian Petroleum Refining industry has been volatile. Crude oil is the primary input into industry products, and therefore, its price is the primary driver of industry revenue. However, the pandemic's collapse in oil prices in 2020 drove refinancing revenue down. Subsequently, high demand and ongoing supply chain disruptions led crude oil prices to spike sharply, translating into an industry revenue boom in 2021 and 2022. However, tempering oil prices in 2024 and potentially...

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• 5. Car & Automobile Manufacturing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $17.8B

  Canadian car and automobile manufacturers have struggled, particularly as automakers move production abroad. High labour costs in Canada have encouraged foreign automakers to shift production to the United States and Mexico, highlighted by Toyota moving production of all passenger vehicles out of Canada.  As a result, output has fallen from Canada's biggest car producers while remaining operations have increasingly focused on SUV and light truck production. Even so, pent-up demand for driving...

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• 6. Auto Parts Manufacturing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $17.0B

  Auto parts manufacturers build miscellaneous parts and equipment, including exhaust systems, airbags, heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems (HVAC) and filtration devices. Manufacturers faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with social distancing significantly reducing travel and weakening the manufacturing sector, causing revenue to contract. However, mass exoduses back to work and greater economic stability have encouraged consumers to drive more, creating great...

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• 7. Generic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $13.2B

  Generic pharmaceuticals account for nearly three-fourths of all prescription drugs dispensed yearly in Canada. Generic pharmaceutical manufacturers are critical to this supply and have an invaluable role in public health and saving patients and insurers millions. Rapid population growth, rising incomes and a growing population of over 65 in Canada in recent years have also contributed to jumps in prescription spending. Despite this importance, the industry's revenue growth hinges on federal a...

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• 8. Copper, Zinc & Lead Refining in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $13.0B

   Canadian metal producers have benefited from growing economic uncertainty and rising prices as consumers seek safer investments, such as gold and silver. Similarly, growing manufacturing and construction activity following the initial stages of the pandemic caused the price of other metals, including copper and nickel, to skyrocket, enabling refineries to pass down cost increases to buyers. However, refineries have been negatively impacted by normalizing economic conditions and falling metal...

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• 9. Brand-Name Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $12.5B

  While smaller in scale than their US counterparts, brand name pharmaceutical manufacturers in Canada play a pivotal role in the Canadian healthcare system. Canadians rely heavily on prescription medications. The country ranks among the top per capita drug expenditure globally, positioning manufacturers to benefit from strong consumer demand and public health initiatives. Driving factors behind rising spending on brand name drugs in Canada recently include an aging demographic, broader health ...

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• 10. Meat, Beef & Poultry Processing in Canada

  Imports for 2025: $12.0B

  The Canadian meat, beef and poultry processing industry is a cornerstone of the nation's food manufacturing sector. Despite its essential role, the industry has grappled with notable challenges recently. A growing awareness of the health risks associated with red meat consumption, such as obesity, heart disease and certain cancers, has prompted many Canadians to reevaluate their dietary habits. Consequently, per capita meat consumption growth has slowed, pressuring mark...

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