Nicknamed “The Beautiful Province” (“La Belle Province” in French) and located in Eastern Canada, the province of Quebec shipped US$87.05 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount results from a 22.1% increase from $71.3 billion four years earlier in 2018.

Year over year, the overall value of Quebec’s exported goods gained 8.7% compared to $80.1 billion for 2021.

Quebec ranks as Canada’s third-best exporter by province or territory behind front-running provinces Ontario and energy-rich Alberta. The value of Quebec’s exported goods equals 14.5% of Canada’s overall export sales for 2022, down from 15.9% in 2021.

Based on research from Statista, the province of Quebec’s exported products amounted to 22.3% of the province’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product (US$391.2 billion for 2022).

Given Quebec’s population of 8.7 million people, its total $87.05 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $10,000 for every resident in the Eastern Canadian province. That dollar metric outpaces the average $9,300 per person one year earlier in 2021.

Quebec’s unemployment rate was 4.1% at the end of April 2023, down from 4.2% at March 2022 per YCharts.

Quebec’s Top 15 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value for Quebec’s global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Quebec.

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

1. Unalloyed unwrought aluminum: US$4.5 billion (5.2% of Quebec’s total exports)
2. Large aircraft: $4.2 billion (4.8%)
3. Alloyed unwrought aluminum: $3.8 billion (4.4%)
4. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $3.1 billion (3.6%)
5. Non-agglomerated iron ores, concentrates: $3.06 billion (3.5%)
6. Refined copper wire: $1.6 billion (1.8%)
7. Turbo-jets (high-thrust): $1.5 billion (1.7%)
8. Electrical energy: $1.09 billion (1.3%)
9. Unwrought refined copper cathodes, cathode sections: $1.07 billion (1.2%)
10. Ground flying trainers including flight simulators, parts: $1 billion (1.1%)
11. Newsprint (in rolls or sheets): $973.4 million (1.1%)
12. Turbo-jet/turbo-propeller parts: $940.3 million (1.1%)
13. Medium-size aircraft: $893.0 million (1.0%)
14. Agglomerated iron ores, concentrates: $878.3 million (1%)
15. Soya beans: $860.8 million (1%)

Quebec’s top 15 exports accounted for about one-third (33.8%) of the overall value of the province’s global shipments.

Miscellaneous petroleum oils represent the fastest grower among Quebec’s top 15 export products, up by 95.8% from 2021 to 2022.

In second place for Quebec’s improving export sales were ground flying trainers including flight simulators which rose 85.8%.

Quebec’s shipments of high-thrust turbo-jets appreciated by 64.4% compared to 2021, ahead of exported newsprint in rolls or sheet (up 45.8%) and electrical energy (up 43.1%).

The severest declines were for unwrought refined copper cathodes and cathode sections, dragged down by a -14.9% reduction from 2021, and exports from Quebec of high-cost large aircraft which reduced by -5% year over year.

More Key Facts about Quebec’s International Trade

Quebec generated a $5.16 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects -49.5% in shrinkage compared to Quebec’s $10.23 billion in black ink for 2021.

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.

Quebec’s spending on imported products totaled $81.9 billion for 2022.

Below are Quebec’s top 10 import products highlighting the province’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2022.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$5 billion (6.1% of Quebec’s total imports)
2. Light petroleum oils: $3.3 million (4%)
3. Turbo-jet/turbo-propeller parts: $2.2 million (2.7%)
4. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $2.17 million (2.7%)
5. Aluminium oxides (excluding artificial corundum): $1.6 million (1.9%)
6. Miscellaneous medications: $1.5 million (1.8%)
7. Unrefined copper, copper anodes: $1.2 million (1.4%)
8. Silver (unwrought): $953.1 million (1.2%)
9. Grape wines excluding sparkling varieties: $717.7 million (0.9%)
10. Turbo-jets (high-thrust): $696.5 million (0.9%)

Quebec has highly positive net exports in the international trade of aluminum and aircraft. In turn, these cashflows indicate Quebec’s competitive advantages under related product categories.

Quebec’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 87.1% worth of the total value of products exported from the province of Quebec during 2022.

1. United States: US$63.4 billion (72.9% of Quebec’s exports)
2. mainland China: $2.7 billion (3.1%)
3. Mexico: $1.72 billion (2%)
4. France: $1.5 billion (1.7%)
5. Japan: $1.31 billion (1.5%)
6. Germany: $1.28 billion (1.5%)
7. United Kingdom: $1.1 billion (1.3%)
8. South Korea: $984.2 million (1.1%)
9. Netherlands: $920.4 million (1.1%)
10. India: $887.7 million (1%)

Quebec’s top trade partners in North America (United States and Mexico) bought three-quarters (74.9%) of the overall value of exported goods from La Belle Province.

That percentage far exceeds the percentages for leading importers of Quebec’s products located in Asia (6.7%) and Europe (5.6%).

Quebecois Export-Related 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 Quebec.

• Bank of Montreal (finance)
• Bell Canada (telecommunications)
• Bombardier Inc. (aerospace, defense)
• Canadian National Railway (transportation)
• National Bank of Canada (finance)
• Royal Bank of Canada (finance)
• Saputo Inc. (food processing)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business manages.
 
Quebec’s capital is Quebec City, nicknamed “la capitale nationale”. That moniker translates as “the national capital” in English.

See also Canada’s Top 10 Exports, Alberta’s Top Exports, Ontario’s Top Exportsand British Columbia’s Top Exports

Research Sources:
Canada Population, Quebec Population. Accessed on May 11, 2023

FlagPictures.org, C.A. Provinces. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Government of Canada, Trade Data Online, Total exports, Distribution by province. Accessed on May 11, 2023

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 11, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Statista, GDP of Quebec in Canada. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Wikipedia, List of largest public companies in Canada by profit. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Wikipedia, List of provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Wikipedia, List of largest companies in Canada. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Wikipedia, Category:Manufacturing companies of Canada. Accessed on May 11, 2023

Wikipedia, Quebec. Accessed on May 11, 2023

YCharts, Canada Labour Force Survey Report. Accessed on May 11, 2023