statistics

Under the 2002 Immigration and Refugee Protection Act regulations, foreign students attending courses in Canada for a period of less than six months do not require a study permit.  The number of study permits issued to Asian foreign students increased 10% in 2009. China has overtaken South Korea as Canada’s top source country in recent years. South Korea experienced strong growth rates of students studying in Canada from 1999 until 2008, and China has grown steadily since 1999 . Chinese students entering Canada for studies have increased about 19%. Indian students entering Canada has grown 177% from 2005 to 2009.  In 2009, the number of Pakistani and Vietnamese students to Canada increased 22% and 19% from 2008, respectively.

Source: Based on original data from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, The Number of Student Permits Issued by Select Countries of Citizenship (In Persons) for Calendar year 2005-2009, 3 July 2010.

Notes: 1. Statistics are collected from documents issued at missions abroad.
2. The statistics reflect student authorizations issued in a given year, and not the cumulative total. Any increases are from the calendar year of 2008 to the calendar year of 2009.
3. Statistics do not include the number of short term students (who do not require a study permit) that come to Canada. There is currently no accurate method of collecting data on these short term numbers, even though in many markets, these students account for a very large percentage of students coming to Canada. For example, short term students from South Korea - who represent a large portion of our market - are simply listed as tourists when they enter Canada.
4.Information about the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act is available at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/I-2.5/index.html

Asia Pacific tourist arrivals in Canada in 2010 increased from the level in 2009. Tourism had picked up in 2005 to 2008 following the setbacks of SARS, the Iraq war and a weak global economy in 2003.  Since then, however, the level of arrivals has stagnated. Still, there has been considerable difference in performance among various source countries.  Arrivals from China has continued to rise steadily, while the numbers from Japan – Canada’s main source market – declined sharply in each of 2008 and 2009 and rose again in 2010. 

Source: “Asia Pacific Visitors to Canada” adapted from the Statistics Canada CANSIM Database, Table 427-0003, http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.exe?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ResultTemplate=CII/CII___&Array_Pick=1&ArrayId=4270003, October 15, 2011.

Notes: *Other Asia Pacific includes: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, North Korea, Laos, Macau, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Users are forbidden to copy this material and/or re-disseminate the data, in an original or modified form, for commercial purposes, without the expressed permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices, its toll-free number 1-800-263-1136 and its website: www.statcan.ca.

Total Services

Canada experienced a deficit in services trade with Asia in 2008, mainly the result of services imports from Japan, Hong Kong and China, Canada’s top Asian partners in services trade. In many other – though smaller – markets, Canada ran bilateral surpluses.  In 2008, receipts from Japan made up about 18% of Canada’s receipts from Asia. Reciprocally, Canada purchased 16% of its Asian services from Japan, a decrease from the level in 2007. Canada experienced significant positive balances with Australia and South Korea. Data in recent years show slight increases in year-to-year international services transactions between Canada and Asia until 2003, when receipts from Asia and payments to Asia both declined. In 2004, this decline was reversed as both categories increased significantly: receipts from Asia by 16% and payments to Asia by 12%. In 2008, both receipts and increased.  Canada-Asia services trade is still relatively small when compared to merchandise trade.

Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, National Accounts 376-0036 http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ARRAY_VREL=3760036&PortalID=3764&ResultTemplate=V3764 October 11, 2011.

Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Users are forbidden to copy this material and/or re-disseminate the data, in an original or modified form, for commercial purposes, without the expressed permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices, its toll-free number 1-800-263-1136 and its website: www.statcan.ca.

Travel Services

Canada experienced a surplus in travel services trade with Asia in 2008. China is our top Asian partner in travel services trade – in 2008, receipts from China accounted for 18% of Canada’s receipts from Asia while Canada purchased 25% of its Asian travel services from China. Of note is Canada’s travel services trade relationship with South Korea: in 2008, Canada exported almost four times the value of travel services as it imported, primarily due to South Korean students attending short-term courses in Canada. Canada also experienced healthy surpluses with Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.

Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, National Accounts 376-0036 http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ARRAY_VREL=3760036&PortalID=3764&ResultTemplate=V3764 October 11, 2011.

Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Users are forbidden to copy this material and/or re-disseminate the data, in an original or modified form, for commercial purposes, without the expressed permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices, its toll-free number 1-800-263-1136 and its website: www.statcan.ca.

Commercial Services

Canada experienced a deficit in commercial services trade with Asia in 2008 due to the magnitude of the negative balance with Japan, which is once again our top Asian partner in commercial services trade. In 2008, Japan accounted for 17% of Canada’s receipts from Asia while Canada purchased over 34% of its Asian commercial services from Japan. Of note is Canada’s commercial services trade relationship with Indonesia: in 2007, Canada exported about 10 times as many services as it imported. Canada also experienced a healthy surplus with Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. Other than Japan, Canada experienced negative balances with six other economies.

Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, National Accounts 376-0036 http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ARRAY_VREL=3760036&PortalID=3764&ResultTemplate=V3764 October 11, 2011.

Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Users are forbidden to copy this material and/or re-disseminate the data, in an original or modified form, for commercial purposes, without the expressed permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices, its toll-free number 1-800-263-1136 and its website: www.statcan.ca.

Transportation and Government Services

Canada experienced a substantial deficit in transportation and government services trade with Asia in 2008. Hong Kong is our top Asian partner in transportation and government services trade, accounting for 18% of Canada’s receipts from Asia while providing 37% of Canada’s transportation and government services imports from Asia. This is largely accounted for by transportation services. Japan is also prominent in this category, accounting for 22% of Canada’s receipts from Asia and providing about 11% of Canada’s transportation and government services imports from Asia. Canada also experienced significant negative balance with Singapore.

Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, National Accounts 376-0036 http://cansim2.statcan.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm?Lang=E&RootDir=CII/&ARRAY_VREL=3760036&PortalID=3764&ResultTemplate=V3764 October 11, 2011.

Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Users are forbidden to copy this material and/or re-disseminate the data, in an original or modified form, for commercial purposes, without the expressed permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices, its toll-free number 1-800-263-1136 and its website: www.statcan.ca.

The Asia Pacific region’s share of Canadian import remained steady last year at 20.6% of the total.  Overall, the East Asian region captured 16.9% of Canada’s total imports, more than the 15% share of Europe in 2010.  Chinese imports to Canada, increased by $4.7 billion between 2009 and 2010, capturing half of all Canadian shipments from Asia. To some extent, the steady increase in Chinese imports is due to our other major Northeast Asian trading partners – South Korea, Taiwan and Japan – relocating their production facilities to China. Though the majority of Canadian imports are sourced from the United States, Asia as a region captures the largest proportion – 42% – of non-US Canadian imports.

Source: Trade Data Online. Industry Canada. 10 March 2011. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home
Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Canada enjoyed total trade growth of 11% with the world in 2010. Exports to the Latin America region increased 19%, while imports rose by almost 29%.  Canada’s total trade with Latin America saw the biggest increase of 26% in 2010. Canada’s total trade growth with the United States, Canada’s top trading partner, saw an increase of 10%. Of notable interest was the decline in Canada’s exports to the Other region (Middle East and Africa), at a decline of 12% is the only region that saw a decline in exports in 2010. Canada’s imports from Latin America and the Other region (the Middle East and Africa), increased by 29% and 26% respectively, the biggest increase in imports in 2010. Canada’s trade with the Asia Pacific region has remain relatively stable over the years and in 2010, the region has a total trade growth of slightly higher than the United States, at 10.9%. However, the dominance of the United States in Canada’s trade patterns is clear, as even a small percentage change in magnitude is much larger in dollar terms than double-digit percentage changes in other markets.

Source: Trade Data Online. Industry Canada. 15 March 2011. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home
Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

The automotive sector, along with the oil and gas sector, account for the bulk of Canada’s imports represented in this table. The same may be said of exports. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this data is the importance of automotive exports, as evidenced by the 10% share of total Canadian domestic exports that are represented by just one class of vehicle. The vast majority of Canada’s automotive exports are destined for the United States. Canada often chides itself for too heavy a reliance on primary (commodity) exports. To be sure, such exports are very important in our overall trade profile, as witnessed by the fact that they make up five of the top 10 exports in this table. Due to higher demand and prices, crude petroleum oil exports captured a 14% share of Canada’s exports to the world in 2010. But automobiles and their parts continue to be the most significant elements of Canada’s overall trade profile for a number of years.

Source: Trade Data Online. Industry Canada. 12 April 2011. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home
Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Notes: The table is based on Harmonised System (HS) codes at the 6-digit level. Commodities are assigned these codes in order that accurate trade records can be kept, tariffs collected appropriately, customs procedures followed, and so forth. The HS system of codes, at its most disaggregated, assigns a 10-digit code to a given item. As the degree of aggregation increases, the number of digits in the code decreases. Thus, for example, the 6-digit HS code assigned to a motor vehicle with a spark-type ignition and a cylinder capacity of more than 3000 cc is 870323. The 2-digit HS code (in this case it is 87) includes not only this type of vehicle, but also many other types of vehicles and a wide variety of vehicle accessories and parts. To learn more about the HS Code system used by Statistics Canada go to http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/h_00048.html.

The composition of Canada’s imports from Asia is essentially similar to Canada’s imports from the rest of the world, concentrated in the automotive and electronics sectors. Our exports to Asia feature a higher degree of concentration, and they are more heavily commodity-based, than are our exports to the rest of the world. Coal, oils, metals and wood and woodpulp items dominate, followed by agriculture products.

Source: Trade Data Online. Industry Canada. 12 April 2011. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home
Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Notes:

1. The table is based on Harmonised System (HS) codes at the 6-digit level. Commodities are assigned these codes in order that accurate trade records can be kept, tariffs collected appropriately, customs procedures followed, and so forth. The HS system of codes, at its most disaggregated, assigns a 10-digit code to a given item. As the degree of aggregation increases, the number of digits in the code decreases. Thus, for example, the 6-digit HS code assigned to a motor vehicle with a spark-type ignition and a cylinder capacity of more than 3000 cc is 870323. The 2-digit HS code (in this case it is 87) includes not only this type of vehicle, but also many other types of vehicles and a wide variety of vehicle accessories and parts. To learn more about the HS Code system used by Statistics Canada go to http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/h_00048.html.
2. For the purposes of this table, Asia is defined as: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.