British Columbia Exports to Asia
A new analysis of more than a decade’s worth of trade data show that the volume of shipped goods out of Canada varies widely by province and sector. British Columbia’s exports to Asia, for example, have nearly doubled between 2000 and 2013 from roughly 24 per cent of provincial exports to 44 per cent, or nearly half of all exports.
The growth of shipments from BC to the surging economies of East and Southeast Asia – at a value approaching $15-billion – are now nearly on par with the province’s shipments south of the border to the United States, the historic destination for most of what Canada produces, according to a new website launched by the Vancouver-based Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, a non-profit that researches and promotes Canada’s ties with Asia.
BC Export Trade Statistics 2000-2013
Wood, pulp, and paper products remains BC’s primary export commodity to Asia; in 2000 the province shipped $4.8 billion in wood, pulp and paper products to the region while in 2013 that number increased to $5.9 billion. However, other export sectors have significantly increased over the past few years. In particular, energy exports to Asia have sharply risen since 2008 and they now account for around $4 billion in exports, while metals and mineral exports to Asia have risen to $3.2 billion.