Canada’s Fish and Seafood Trade with the People’s Republic of China, 2019

Economics, Statistics, and Data Governance
Strategic Policy Sector
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
2021

Highlights

• Canada’s fish and seafood exports to China (Canada’s second largest export destination by value after the US) were valued at $1.31B^{Footnote 1} in 2019, accounting for 18 percent of total Canadian fish and seafood exports by value.
• Canadian fish and seafood export value to China increased 12 percent (+$136M) between 2018 and 2019.
• Quantity of exports was 133 thousand tonnes with a 12 percent increase from 2018, while fish and seafood export prices to China remained almost the same as in 2018 (a less than 1 percent decrease).

• Top species exported to China were lobster^{Footnote 5} ($509M), crab^{Footnote 6} ($266M) and shrimp ($185M), accounting for 73 percent of total Canadian fish and seafood export value to China.
• Main other species exported to China were clams ($81M), halibut ($36M) and geoduck ($36M).
• Top exporting provinces were Nova Scotia ($726M), British Columbia ($293M) and Newfoundland and Labrador ($192M).
• Canada’s fish and seafood imports from China were valued at $628M, representing 15 percent of total Canadian fish and seafood imports by value. The top imported species by value were shrimp ($110M), haddock ($55M) and squid ($52M).