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January 08, 2025CANDIAN INTERNATIONAL EXPORTS BY MODE OF TRANSPORT Annual, 2023
Statistics Canada released a new table which reports Canada’s international merchandise trade by mode of transport. This article presents export data that are on a customs basis and not seasonally adjusted. In 2023, 39.7% of goods exported used the road as a means of transport. Other methods of transportation (such as mail and pipeline) were the second largest route of export transportation at 19.2% followed by water transportation at 18.1%. Rail as a mode of export transportation was used 13.3% in 2023 and exports by air were 9.8% of total exports that year.

Trends
Road transportation more than doubled from 2009 to 2019 following the economic downturn and rising by 43% from 2020 to 2023. Other category also grew significantly following the pandemic, with energy exports accounting for the majority of it and the trend often coinciding with movements in energy prices. Exports by air have been steadily growing since 1997. Transport by rail was stable from 1999 to 2008, after a small dip in 2009 exports by rail recovered and have steadily grown since (except for a decline in 2020). Exports by water have been growing and following a similar pattern as "other" mode, though less volatile.

Source: Statistics Canada.Table 12-10-0177-01 Canadian international merchandise trade by mode of transport, customs-based, monthly (x 1,000); Canadian international merchandise trade by mode of transport, 2023
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