In 2022, Canada’s 100 most lucrative imported consumer products attracted US$272.3 billion in Canadian spending on goods acquired from international sources.
That dollar amount represents 48% of the overall value of all Canadian imported goods ($567.4 billion), up from the 47.6% for consumer products’ percentage share for overall imports during 2021.
The 5 most valuable consumer products imported into Canada during 2022 were cars, refined petroleum oils, trucks, automotive parts or accessories, and phones including smartphones.
The total dollar amount for Canada’s top 100 imported consumer products rose by 16.9% in 2022 from $232.9 billion one year prior in 2021. For all Canadian imported goods, spending increased less at 15.9% year over year.
Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Canada, 89 increased in total cost from 2021 to 2022 led by medication mixes in dosage. On the other hand, 11 declined propelled by shrinking Canadian spending on imported silver.
Changes in Canadian consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.
Consumer Products Defined
Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.
Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a car, truck or motorcycle.
Types of Consumer Products
This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.
Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.
Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying a poor-performing model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a stale loaf of bread.
Specialty Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.
Canadian Consumer Imports Smart List
The searchable marketing intelligence table below showcases Canada’s 100 most valuable imported consumer products in descending order. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level.
The table’s fifth column identifies each entry’s consumer product type.
You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2021 to 2022. To do so, click on the heading of the fourth column.
| # | Imported Product | US$ | YOY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cars | $31,888,912,000 | +14.6% | SP |
| 2 | Processed petroleum oils | $20,056,212,000 | +49.6% | CP |
| 3 | Trucks | $17,542,361,000 | +18.6% | SP |
| 4 | Automobile parts/accessories | $16,970,932,000 | +19.4% | SP |
| 5 | Phone devices including smartphones | $12,756,237,000 | +8.2% | SP |
| 6 | Computers, optical readers | $11,421,462,000 | -0.3% | SP |
| 7 | Medications | $10,016,789,000 | +6.9% | CP |
| 8 | Gold (unwrought) | $8,105,960,000 | +24.1% | SY |
| 9 | Tractors | $4,756,628,000 | +31% | SP |
| 10 | Petroleum gas | $4,697,456,000 | +74.6% | CP |
| 11 | Insulated wire/cable | $4,354,905,000 | +24.1% | SP |
| 12 | Trailers | $4,100,627,000 | +29.1% | SP |
| 13 | Miscellaneous furniture | $3,766,711,000 | +8.2% | SP |
| 14 | Seats (not barber/dentist chairs) | $3,694,131,000 | +11.9% | SP |
| 15 | Rubber tires (new) | $3,567,866,000 | +11.8% | SP |
| 16 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $3,174,718,000 | +13.7% | CP |
| 17 | Liquid pumps | $2,943,054,000 | +17.4% | SY |
| 18 | Temperature-change machines | $2,928,833,000 | +87.5% | SY |
| 19 | Silver (unwrought) | $2,753,000,000 | -35.1% | SY |
| 20 | Electrical converters/power units | $2,580,604,000 | +18.7% | SP |
| 21 | Air conditioners | $2,404,820,000 | +20.5% | SY |
| 22 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $2,369,148,000 | +11.4% | SP |
| 23 | Wine | $2,268,825,000 | +0.9% | CP |
| 24 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $2,257,153,000 | +2.3% | CP |
| 25 | Packaged insecticides, herbicides | $2,247,239,000 | +22.3% | SP |
| 26 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $2,133,621,000 | +5.4% | SY |
| 27 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $2,056,953,000 | +25% | SP |
| 28 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $2,036,599,000 | +15.5% | CP |
| 29 | Refrigerators, freezers | $2,023,650,000 | +7.3% | SY |
| 30 | Miscellaneous food preparations | $1,990,758,000 | +7.8% | CP |
| 31 | Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins | $1,980,933,000 | +20.7% | SP |
| 32 | Electric storage batteries | $1,977,661,000 | +28.9% | SY |
| 33 | Miscellaneous toys | $1,943,427,000 | +13.4% | SP |
| 34 | Coffee | $1,909,508,000 | +34.1% | CP |
| 35 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $1,842,869,000 | +40% | SP |
| 36 | Sports equipment | $1,812,399,000 | -10.7% | SP |
| 37 | Beauty/makeup/skin care | $1,803,418,000 | +14.4% | SY |
| 38 | Household base metal mountings | $1,800,653,000 | +12.1% | SY |
| 39 | Fertilizer mixes | $1,734,430,000 | +23.9% | SY |
| 40 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $1,698,114,000 | +14.5% | CP |
| 41 | Electric motors, not generating sets | $1,676,823,000 | +10.7% | SY |
| 42 | Printing machinery | $1,651,983,000 | +3% | SP |
| 43 | Orthopedic appliances | $1,644,953,000 | +2% | SP |
| 44 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $1,623,286,000 | +3.3% | SP |
| 45 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $1,491,066,000 | +17.1% | SP |
| 46 | Corn | $1,473,890,000 | +79.6% | CP |
| 47 | Jewelry | $1,450,994,000 | +17.6% | SY |
| 48 | Women's clothing (not knit/crochet) | $1,383,477,000 | +45.7% | SP |
| 49 | Nitrogenous fertilizers | $1,379,912,000 | +84% | SY |
| 50 | Video console games, table games | $1,368,974,000 | +8.8% | SP |
| 51 | Miscellaneous fruits (fresh) | $1,299,784,000 | +2.9% | CP |
| 52 | Electric generating sets, converters | $1,284,867,000 | +39.7% | SY |
| 53 | Footwear (leather) | $1,273,835,000 | +45.2% | SP |
| 54 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $1,267,334,000 | +13.8% | SP |
| 55 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $1,239,545,000 | +7.4% | CP |
| 56 | Unrecorded sound media | $1,210,465,000 | +8% | SP |
| 57 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $1,188,875,000 | +15% | CP |
| 58 | Hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel items | $1,136,845,000 | -19.3% | SP |
| 59 | Vulcanized rubber items | $1,125,766,000 | +15.3% | SP |
| 60 | Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines | $1,089,125,000 | -2% | SY |
| 61 | Women's clothing (knit or crochet) | $1,084,490,000 | +22.7% | SP |
| 62 | Medication mixes not in dosage | $1,080,451,000 | +576.2% | CP |
| 63 | Yachts, canoes, row boats | $1,062,471,000 | +1.7% | SP |
| 64 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $1,052,891,000 | +40.4% | SP |
| 65 | Men's suits (unknit/non-crochet) | $1,041,319,000 | +46.2% | SP |
| 66 | Miscellaneous preserved fruits | $1,035,779,000 | +9.8% | CP |
| 67 | Waters with added sugar | $1,002,612,000 | +4.9% | CP |
| 68 | Coal, solid fuels made from coal | $1,001,737,000 | +64.7% | CP |
| 69 | Printed books, brochures | $1,001,656,000 | -2.8% | SP |
| 70 | Special hand/machine tools | $995,374,000 | +12.4% | SY |
| 71 | Computer parts, accessories | $976,846,000 | -3.3% | SP |
| 72 | Footwear (textile) | $975,052,000 | +50.1% | SP |
| 73 | Plastic wares (table, kitchen, toiletry) | $968,455,000 | +9.7% | CP |
| 74 | Motorcycles | $958,234,000 | +23.1% | SP |
| 75 | Fish fillets, pieces | $957,376,000 | +21.3% | CP |
| 76 | Sauces, condiments, seasoning | $920,535,000 | +10.4% | CP |
| 77 | Other fresh/chilled vegetables | $912,503,000 | +0.9% | CP |
| 78 | Crustaceans (including lobsters) | $836,943,000 | -14.8% | CP |
| 79 | Other meats (prepared/preserved) | $771,641,000 | +12.2% | CP |
| 80 | Malt extract, food preparations | $740,377,000 | +17.5% | CP |
| 81 | Iron/steel stoves, barbecues | $734,304,000 | -15.6% | SY |
| 82 | Fresh or chilled beef | $708,934,000 | +7% | CP |
| 83 | Plastic tile or roll coverings | $707,818,000 | +2.5% | SP |
| 84 | Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners | $706,825,000 | +15.1% | CP |
| 85 | Mattresses, quilts | $703,203,000 | -0.2% | SP |
| 86 | Tissues, napkins, toilet paper | $683,052,000 | +14.1% | CP |
| 87 | Hair preparations | $680,996,000 | +15.8% | SP |
| 88 | Fresh or dried citrus fruit | $677,715,000 | +3.2% | CP |
| 89 | Miscellaneous textile items | $677,564,000 | -16% | SP |
| 90 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $660,310,000 | +9.4% | CP |
| 91 | Synthetic paints, varnishes, enamels | $659,724,000 | +15.1% | SP |
| 92 | Soap, organic surface-active goods | $659,029,000 | +16.4% | SP |
| 93 | Linens | $645,068,000 | +7.3% | SP |
| 94 | Footwear (rubber or plastic) | $642,726,000 | +47.2% | SP |
| 95 | Sugar (cane or beet) | $624,382,000 | +17.2% | CP |
| 96 | Prepared cereal foods | $618,688,000 | +21% | CP |
| 97 | Paints, varnishes | $618,598,000 | +11.1% | SP |
| 98 | Pasta, couscous | $615,869,000 | +23.2% | CP |
| 99 | Dates/pineapples/mango/avocado | $615,323,000 | +4.9% | CP |
| 100 | Other printed pictures, photos | $602,545,000 | +5.7% | SY |
The most popular product type is shopping products (SD) led by cars, trucks, automobile parts or accessories, mobile phones, computers, and tractors. Shopping products approached half (47) of Canada’s top 100 imported consumer goods.
In second place via 34 entities are convenience products (CP) led by processed petroleum oils, medication mixes in dosage, petroleum gases, plastic packing goods including lids and caps, then wine.
There were 19 speciality products (SY). Examples of the most valuable speciality products are Canadian imports of gold, liquid pumps, silver, and air conditioners.
Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. By product type, note that all shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.
Non-durable consumer products (ND) are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.
Based on the product types identified in the above table, 66 of Canada’s highest-value consumer imported products are durable while 34 are classified as non-durable.
Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports
Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Canada that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2021 to 2022.
- Medication mixes not in dosage: Up 576.2% (US$1.08 billion)
- Temperature-change machines: Up 87.5% ($2.93 billion)
- Nitrogenous fertilizers: Up 84% ($1.38 billion)
- Corn: Up 79.6% ($1.47 billion)
- Petroleum gas: Up 74.6% ($4.7 billion)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: Up 64.7% ($1 billion)
- Footwear (textile): Up 50.1% ($975.1 million)
- Processed petroleum oils: Up 49.6% ($20.1 billion)
- Footwear (rubber or plastic): Up 47.2% ($642.7 million)
- Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): Up 46.3% ($1.04 billion)
Among the above top gainers, 5 items are durable goods that consumers can re-use over time. Drilling down, 3 of the durable items are shopping products that require a comparatively longer time to make a buying decision including footwear and suits. Another 2 top gainers are periodically purchased speciality items namely temperature-change machines and nitrogenous fertilizers.
The fastest-growing 5 Canadian imports of convenience products are medication mixes not in dosage, corn, petroleum gas, coal, and processed petroleum oils. Consumers typically consider these items as non-durable products commonly referred to as disposable goods. Typically, they are used only once.
Worst-Declining Consumer Imports
Canada’s spending on the following items decreased from 2021 to 2022.
- Silver (unwrought): Down -35.1% (US$2.75 billion)
- Items made from hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel: Down -19.3% ($1.14 billion)
- Miscellaneous textile items: Down -16% ($677.6 million)
- Iron/steel stoves, barbecues: Down -15.6% ($734.3 million)
- Crustaceans (including lobsters): Down -14.8% ($836.9 million)
- Sports equipment: Down -10.7% ($1.81 billion)
- Computer parts, accessories: Down -3.3% ($976.8 million)
- Printed books, brochures: Down -2.8% ($1 billion)
- Dishwashing, cleaning/drying/filling machines: Down -2% ($1.09 billion)
- Computers, optical readers: Down -0.3% ($11.4 billion)
- Mattresses, quilts: Down -0.2% ($703.2 million)
There was one non-durable convenience product among the above decliners, namely crustaceans including lobsters. Convenience products are consumed one time only.
Seven decliners were shopping products that normally require more time for shoppers to make buying decisions. Purchases under the shopping products category are more likely to be deferred than convenience products. Double-digit percentage declines were recorded for Canadian imports of items made from iron or non-alloy steel (down -19.3% from 2021), miscellaneous textile items (down -16%) and sported equipment (down -10.7%).
The greatest-shrinking purchases of speciality products were Canada’s imports of silver (down -35.1%), stoves and barbecues made from iron or steel (down -15.6%), then dishwashing, cleaning, drying, filling machinery (down -2%).
Key Suppliers by Country
This analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target Canada’s demand for its top 5 consumer import products.
The biggest Canadian imported consumer product by value is cars. Canada’s 4 other leading consumer imports are refined petroleum oils, trucks, automobile parts or accessories, and mobile phones.
Below, you will find major supplying countries for the following Canadian imports.
Cars: United States of America (52.5% of total), Mexico (11.4%), South Korea (10.0%), Japan (9.7%), Germany (7.8%), United Kingdom (1.8%), Slovakia (1.7%), mainland China (1.4%), Italy (1.2%), and Belgium (0.6%).
Refined petroleum oils: United States of America (76.1% of total), Netherlands (9.9%), United Kingdom (3%), India (1.6%), Belgium (1.5%), Kuwait (1.47%), Germany (1%), Lithuania (0.7%), Sweden (0.6%), and Ireland (0.4%).
Trucks: United States of America (77% of total), Mexico (19.4%), Germany (1.2%), Japan (0.8%), United Kingdom (0.44%), Sweden (0.31%), Finland (0.28%), Thailand (0.15%), Spain (0.12%), and Brazil (0.09%).
Automobile parts or accessories: United States of America (63.9% of total), mainland China (10.6%), Mexico (9.6%), Japan (4.9%), Germany (2.4%), South Korea (1.7%), India (1.2%), Taiwan (0.9%), Italy (0.47%), and Thailand (0.41%).Mobile phones: mainland China (58.8% of total), Vietnam (13.3%), Mexico (6.4%), United States of America (5.2%), Taiwan (3.9%), Malaysia (2.7%), South Korea (2.4%), Thailand (1.7%), India (0.7%), and the Philippines (0.5%).
See also
More great research: Canada’s Main Imports by Top Supplier Countries, US Top 100 Imported Consumer Products, China’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products, UK’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products, Mexico’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products by Value
References
Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.
BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Canada Economy.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
Trading Economics, Canada Consumer Spending.
Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.
World’s Top Exports, Canada’s Top 10 Imports.
