Trade commodities in Canada
Canada is one of the world's largest exporters of crude oil (from oil sands), natural gas, potash, uranium, and lumber. The country holds the third-largest proven oil reserves globally and is the world's largest potash producer. Canada's vast mineral and forestry resources, combined with stable governance, make it a premier commodity trading partner.
What Canada sells and buys.
Find the exporters and importers behind each commodity in the CTX Directory; verified members are marked, and every member carries a trust score.
Canada's commodity trade profile
Canada is a major crude oil exporter (Western Canadian Select dilbit, Albian Heavy Synthetic), with the bulk going to US Midwest and Gulf refiners via Enbridge Mainline and TMX (Trans Mountain Expansion now operational since 2024). Canada is a top potash exporter (Saskatchewan: Nutrien, Mosaic), uranium exporter (Cameco), wheat and canola exporter, and growing LNG exporter (LNG Canada Phase 1, Cedar LNG). Forestry products and aluminum (Quebec hydropower-based smelters) round out the export mix.
How commodity trade works in Canada
ICE Futures Canada (formerly Winnipeg) hosts canola futures: the global benchmark. Canadian Wheat Board's wind-down in 2012 transitioned wheat export to private trade. The Western Canadian Select (WCS) discount to WTI captures pipeline capacity dynamics: when takeaway is constrained, WCS widens to $20-30/bbl off WTI. Canadian-US-Mexico USMCA framework structures most trade with the US.
Trading with Canada counterparties
Payment customs: open account dominates US-Canada bilateral; LC standard for offshore. Canada Customs export declarations and FINTRAC AML reporting required. Dispute resolution typically via Toronto-seated arbitration (ICDR) or Calgary-seated for energy contracts.
Trading in Canada.
- Major ports
- Vancouver
- Montreal
- Prince Rupert
- Halifax
- Thunder Bay
- Free trade zones
- Vancouver Foreign Trade Zone
- Winnipeg CentrePort Canada
- Hamilton Foreign Trade Zone
- Key regulations
- Canada's Border Services Agency (CBSA) manages commodity imports. The Canada Energy Regulator oversees oil and gas exports, and the USMCA (formerly NAFTA) governs preferential commodity trade with the US and Mexico.
Find the exporters and importers in Canada.
The CTX Directory maps the companies headquartered in Canada and the ones that buy from it, by commodity and role, with the decision-makers to unlock.
Find your counterparties in Canada.
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