Nicknamed “Beautiful British Columbia” or simply “B.C.” and located on Canada’s west coast, the province of British Columbia shipped CDN$57.4 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2023.

That dollar amount represents a 29.1% increase from $44.4 billion five years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of British Columbian export sales declined by -13.3% compared to $66.2 billion for 2022.

British Columbia ranks as Canada’s fourth-best exporter by province or territory behind leading provinces Ontario, Alberta and Quebec. The value of British Columbia’s exports equals 7.5% of Canada’s overall exported products for 2023, down from 8.4% in 2022.

Based on statistics from the website Statista, British Columbia’s exported products represent 18.9% of the province’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product ($304.1 billion for 2022).

Given British Columbia’s population of 5 million people, its total $57.4 billion in 2023 exports translates to roughly $11,500 for every resident in Canada’s western-most coastal province. That dollar metric exceeds the average $13,400 one year earlier in 2022.

British Columbia’s unemployment rate was 5% in April 2024, down from the province’s 5.1% jobless rate one year earlier per YCharts.

British Columbia’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous): Cdn$10.3 billion (18% of Quebec’s total exports)
2. Natural gas (gaseous state): $4.9 billion (8.5%)
3. Copper ores, concentrates: $3.7 billion (6.4%)
4. Chemical woodpulp (coniferous): $2.5 billion (4.3%)
5. Lumber sawn or chipped lengthwise: $2.2 billion (3.9%)
6. Crude petroleum oils: $1.90 billion (3.3%)
7. Coniferous lumber (sawn, chipped, sliced, peeled): $1.90 billion (3.3%)
8. Liquified propane: $1.20 billion (2.1%)
9. Electrical energy: $1.1 billion (1.9%)
10. Unalloyed unwrought aluminum: $1 billion (1.7%)
11. Computer boards, panels: $606.2 million (1.1%)
12. Miscellaneous food preparations (flavor powders, sweets, gums): $564.4 million (1%)
13. Unalloyed unwrought zinc (less than pure concentrate): $519.4 million (0.9%)
14. Unalloyed unwrought zinc: $518.5 million (0.9%)
15. Gold (unwrought): $511.9 million (0.9%)

British Columbia’s top 15 exports accounted for over half (58.2%) of the overall value of the province’s global shipments.

Liquified propane represents the fastest grower among British Columbia’s top 15 export products, up by 241.9% from 2022 to 2023.

In second place were B.C.’s export sales of unalloyed unwrought aluminum (up 93.5% from 2022), trailed by computer boards and panels (up 57.2%) then unwrought gold (up 22.4%).

The severest decliners among British Columbia’s most valuable export products were sales of lumber sawn or chipped lengthwise (down -46.2% from 2022), natural gas in gaseous state (down -37%), electrical energy (down -36.9%), sawn, chipped, sliced or peeled coniferous lumber (down -28.6%) then unalloyed unwrought zinc (down -16%).

More Key Facts about British Columbia’s International Trade

British Columbia incurred a -Cdn$16.9 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2023. That dollar amount reflects a 48.2% expansion from -$11.4 billion in red 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.

All told, B.C. bought Cdn$74.3 billion worth of products imported from around the world during 2023.

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

1. Vehicles with electric motor only: CDN$2.9 billion (3.9% of Ontario’s total imports)
2. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $2.1 billion (2.8%)
3. Machinery to liquify air or other gases: $2 billion (2.7%)
4. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $1.5 billion (2%)
5. Electrical energy: $1.3 billion (1.7%)
6. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $738.2 million (1%)
7. Mechanical shovels, excavators: $653.8 million (0.9%)
8. Biodiesel, mixed petroleum oils: $577.6 million (0.8%)
9. Zinc ores, concentrates: $568.8 million (0.8%)
10. Wheeled toys (tricycles, scooters, pedal cars, carriages): $560.5 million (0.8%)

British Columbia has highly negative net exports in the international trade of electric vehicles, miscellaneous petroleum oils, machinery used to liquify air or other gases, and mid-sized automobiles powered by piston engine. In turn, these cashflows indicate British Columbia’s competitive disadvantages under related product categories.

British Columbia’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 92.4% worth of the total value of products exported from the province of British Columbia during 2023.

1. United States: CDN$30.5 billion (53.2% of British Columbia’s total exports)
2. China: $8.1 billion (14.1%)
3. Japan: $6.3 billion (11%)
4. South Korea: $3.3 billion (5.8%)
5. India: $1.4 billion (2.4%)
6. Netherlands: $925.9 million (1.6%)
7. Taiwan: $814.7 million (1.4%)
8. Australia: $791.7 million (1.4%)
9. Germany: $494.9 million (0.9%)
10. United Kingdom: $369.4 million (0.6%)

British Columbia’s top trade partners in North America (mainly United States and, to a much lesser extent, Mexico) bought over half (53.6%) of the overall value of goods exported from B.C.

In comparison, B.C.’s leading importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan, South Korea, India and Taiwan) generated 34.7% of the province’s total export sales in 2023.

British Columbian Export 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 British Columbia.

• Goldcorp (mining)
• Lululemon Athletica (clothing)
• Teck Resources (mining)
• Telus (telecommunications)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business manages.
 
British Columbia’s capital is Victoria, nicknamed “The Garden City” and is associated with the motto “Forever free”. Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

See also Canada’s Top 10 Exports, Alberta’s Top Exports, and Ontario’s Top Exports

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

Wikipedia, British Columbia. Accessed on May 27, 2024

Wikipedia, Flag of British Columbia. 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

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