Ottawa-Canada exported nearly $99.1 billion worth of agrifood and seafood products during 2023, more than $6 billion higher than in 2022, says Statistics Canada. Back in 2019, the exports were just over $67 billion.

The U.S. was by far the biggest customer taking more than half of the 2023 exports as it did during the previous four years. China was in second place with nearly $11.5 billion worth of purchases compared to $6.6 billion in 2019. Japan was third even though its purchases were down by almost $1 billion. Mexico acquired $2.9 billion worth last year compared to $1.65 billion in 2019. The other top 10 purchasers were Indonesia, Algeria, Italy, Korea, India and the United Kingdom.

The top commodities purchased were wheat at $11.8 billion followed by rapeseed oil at $7.1 billion, bakery products at just over $7 billion, rapeseed just under $6 billion, dried vegetables $4.6 billion, crustaceans $4.1 billion, beef $3.9 billion, pork $3.6 billion and soya beans not quite $3.6 billion.

Also included in the long list of agrifood export products were live cattle at $1.8 billion, barley nearly $1.8 billion, corn just under $1 billion and oats at $718 million.

To help boost sales in future years, Agriculture Canada is providing Group Export Agri-Food Quebec-Canada with up to $5.5 million over three years to assist companies entering a foreign market for the first time as well as those currently trading overseas. The objectives of the project activities are to enable Canadian companies to promote their agri-food products abroad, to secure concrete sales and contracts in their target markets, and to increase the value of international agri-food exports in all categories of agri-food products.

Group Export's project activities include facilitating business meetings, supporting attendance at trade shows, providing technical training, and organizing trade missions.

Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said “Thanks to the hard work of Canadian producers, processors, and exporters, our agriculture and food exports reached nearly $100 billion last year. I want to keep that momentum going and make Canada the supplier of choice for customers around the world. I have no doubt that this important investment will give Canadian agri-food exporters the support they need to get their top-quality products on even more kitchen tables.”

Founded in 1990, Group Export has more than 450 members, the largest association of agri-food exporters in Canada. Its project activities will focus on promotion in the U.S. Germany, Spain, China, Mexico, France, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and India. The markets covered by the project were selected based on sales growth for agri-food products.