Nicknamed “The Beautiful Province” (“La Belle Province” in French) and located in Eastern Canada, the province of Quebec shipped Cdn$118.6 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2023.

That dollar amount results from a 28.6% increase starting from $92.2 billion in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of Quebec’s exported goods gained 4.6% compared to $113.4 billion for 2022.

Quebec ranks as Canada’s third-best exporter by province or territory behind front-running provinces Ontario and energy-rich Alberta. The value of Quebec’s exported goods equals 15.5% of Canada’s overall export sales for 2023, up from 14.5% in 2022.

Based on research from Statista, exported products from the province of Quebec’s amounted to 27.6% of the province’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product (CDN$429.2 billion for 2023).

Given Quebec’s population of 8.95 million people, its total $118.6 billion in 2023 exports translates to roughly $13,250 for every resident in the Eastern Canadian province. That dollar metric outpaces the average $12,950 per person one year earlier in 2022.

Quebec’s unemployment rate was 5.1% at the end of April 2024, up from from 4.2% one year earlier per YCharts.

Quebec’s Top 15 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value for Quebec’s global shipments during 2023. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Quebec.

Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.

1. Large aircraft CDN$6.8 billion (5.7% of Quebec’s total exports)
2. Unalloyed unwrought aluminum $5.5 billion (4.6%)
3. Non-agglomerated iron ores, concentrates $4.3 billion (3.6%)
4. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $3.71 billion (3.1%)
5. Alloyed unwrought aluminum $3.7 billion (3.1%)
6. Gold (unwrought): $3.2 billion (2.7%)
7. Turbo-jets (high-thrust) $2.7 billion (2.3%)
8. Refined copper wire $2 billion (1.7%)
9. Medium-size aircraft $1.8 billion (1.5%)
10. Unwrought refined copper cathodes, cathode sections $1.42 billion (1.2%)
11. Ground flying trainers including flight simulators, parts $1.39 billion (1.2%)
12. Turbo-jet/turbo-propeller parts $1.32 billion (1.1%)
13. Lumber sawn or chipped lengthwise $1.31 billion (1.1%)
14. Electrical energy $1.31 billion (1.1%)
15. Medium-size diesel-powered trucks $1.2 billion (1%)

Quebec’s top 15 exports generated over one-third (35%) of the overall value of the province’s global shipments.

Unwrought gold represents the fastest grower among Quebec’s top 15 export products, up by 258.1% from 2022 to 2023.

In second place for Quebec’s improving export sales were medium-size trucks powered by diesel which rose 98.2%.

Quebec’s shipments of high-thrust turbo-jets appreciated by 89.6% compared to 2022, ahead of exported medium-size aircraft (up 55%) then large aircraft (up 24.8%).

The severest declines were for exports of lumber sawn or chipped lengthwise dragged down by a -37.2% reduction from 2022, and exports from Quebec of alloyed unwrought aluminum which depreciated -25.2% year over year.

More Key Facts about Quebec’s International Trade

Quebec generated a Cdn$14.3 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2023. That dollar amount reflects 114.1% acceleration compared to Quebec’s $6.7 billion in black ink for 2022.

Another way of saying surplus or deficit is positive or negative net exports. In a nutshell, the term “net exports” quantifies the amount by which foreign spending on a province’s goods or services exceeds or lags that same province’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Quebec’s spending on imported products totaled Cdn$104.2 billion for 2023.

Below are Quebec’s top 10 import products highlighting the province’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2023.

1. Crude petroleum oils: CDN$4.7 billion (4.5% of Ontario’s total imports)
2. Turbo-jet/turbo-propeller parts $3.9 billion (3.7%)
3. Aircraft including helicopter parts $3.4 billion (3.3%)
4. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $2.81 billion (2.7%)
5. Light petroleum oils: $2.81 billion (2.7%)
6. Aluminium oxides (excluding artificial corundum) $2 billion (1.9%)
7. Miscellaneous medications: $1.8 billion (1.7%)
8. Silver (unwrought) $1.65 billion (1.6%)
9. Unrefined copper, copper anodes $1.59 billion (1.5%)
10. Turbo-jets (high-thrust) $1.1 billion (1.1%)

Quebec has highly positive net exports in the international trade of aircraft and aluminum. In turn, these cashflows indicate Quebec’s competitive advantages under related product categories.

Quebec’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 87.6% worth of the total value of products exported from the province of Quebec during 2023.

1. United States: CDN$87.3 billion (73.6% of Quebec’s total exports)
2. China: $4.2 billion (3.6%)
3. France: $2.07 billion (1.7%)
4. Mexico: $2.05 billion (1.7%)
5. Japan: $1.8 billion (1.5%)
6. Germany: $1.6 billion (1.3%)
7. United Kingdom: $1.5 billion (1.3%)
8. Netherlands: $1.3 billion (1.1%)
9. South Korea: $1.1 billion (0.9%)
10. Switzerland: $1 billion (0.9%)

Quebec’s top trade partners in North America (United States and Mexico) bought three-quarters (75.4%) of the overall value of exported goods from La Belle Province.

That percentage far exceeds the percentages for leading importers of Quebec’s products located in Asia (6%) and Europe (6.3%).

Quebecois Export-Related Companies

Below are some of Canada’s largest businesses that are involved in international trade either directly or indirectly. Their corporate headquarters are in the province of Quebec.

• Bank of Montreal (finance)
• Bell Canada (telecommunications)
• Bombardier Inc. (aerospace, defense)
• Canadian National Railway (transportation)
• National Bank of Canada (finance)
• Royal Bank of Canada (finance)
• Saputo Inc. (food processing)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business manages.
 
Quebec’s capital is Quebec City, nicknamed “la capitale nationale”. That moniker translates as “the national capital” in English.

See also Canada’s Top 10 Exports, Alberta’s Top Exports, Ontario’s Top Exportsand British Columbia’s Top Exports

Research Sources:
Canada Population, Quebec Population. Accessed on May 27, 2024

FlagPictures.org, C.A. Provinces. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Government of Canada, Trade Data Online, Total exports, Distribution by province. Accessed on May 27, 2024

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 27, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Statista, GDP of Quebec in Canada. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Wikipedia, List of largest public companies in Canada by profit. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Wikipedia, List of provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Wikipedia, List of largest companies in Canada. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Wikipedia, Category:Manufacturing companies of Canada. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Wikipedia, Quebec. Accessed on May 27, 2024

YCharts, Canada Labour Force Survey Report. Accessed on May 27, 2024