Canada’s Exported Services

Canada provided US$86.9 billion worth of export services to clients around the globe during 2017. That dollar amount is 1.6% of the global total for services, and represents about one-fifth (20.7%) of the $420.6 billion in exported products Canada shipped over the same timeframe.

Canada’s exported services declined in value by -3.9% since 2013 and appreciated 5.7% from 2016 to 2017.

Canada’s Export Services by Category

Below are services exported by Canada in 2017 listed by category and in order starting with highest dollar values. Ten of these categories are considered commercial services and are worth 98.6% of all exported services from Canada. Government goods and services account for the remainder.

1. Miscellaneous business services: US$26.7 billion (30.7% of Canada’s total)
2. Travel: $20.3 billion (23.4%)
3. Transport: $13.1 billion (15.1%)
4. Telecom/computer/information services: $7.8 billion (9%)
5. Financial services: $7.7 billion (8.8%)
6. Intellectual property use: $4.5 billion (5.2%)
7. Personal, cultural, recreational services: $2.1 billion (2.4%)
8. Maintenance/repair services: $1.5 billion (1.8%)
9. Insurance/pension services: $1.4 billion (1.7%)
10. Government goods, services: $1.2 billion (1.4%)
11. Construction services: $540.9 million (0.6%)

Two of the above categories expanded in value from 2013 to 2017 namely travel services (up 14.9%) and maintenance and repair services (up 8.5%).

 

Posting double-digit declines over the 5-year period were construction services (down -29.7%), insurance and pension services (down -19.8%), personal, cultural and recreational services (down -16.3%), government goods and services (down -15.1%) then telecommunications, computer and information services (down -12.8%).

Canada’s Export Services by Top Trade Partners

Back in 2016, Canada provided export services to 60 geographic entities including countries, islands or territories. The largest of these trading partners was the European Union, which consumed 16.6% of Canada’s overall exported services for the year.

The following list highlights the top 20 countries (or territories) that imported the highest value of services furnished by Canada. Together, these 20 trading partners received 85.3% of Canadian services provided to international clients.

1. United States: 54.9% of Canada’s exported services
2. United Kingdom: 6.1%
3. China: 2.9%
4. France: 2.6%
5. Switzerland: 2%
6. Germany: 2%
7. Bermuda: 1.9%
8. Hong Kong: 1.8%
9. Japan: 1.7%
10. Australia: 1.6%
11. Netherlands: 1.1%
12. Mexico: 1.1%
13. Belgium: 0.9%
14. Ireland: 0.9%
15. South Korea: 0.8%
16. India: 0.8%
17. Sweden: 0.7%
18. Singapore: 0.7%
19. Brazil: 0.6%
20. Taiwan: 0.6%

Five of Canada’s top trading partners boosted their purchases of Canadian export services from 2013 to 2016 namely Bermuda (up 14.7%), Japan (up 8.7%), China (up 4.3%), United Kingdom (up 0.5%) and Sweden (up 0.03%).

Leading cutbacks over the 5-year period belong to Singapore (down -28.9%), Germany (down -27.9%), Switzerland (down -19.2%) and Brazil (down -16.4%).

See also World’s Top Export Services, World’s Top Exports Report Card for Products and Countries and Report Card for Trade Surpluses and Deficits by Country

Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 16, 2019

International Trade Centre, Trade Map, International Market Analysis. Accessed on February 16, 2019

The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 16, 2019