Nicknamed “The Beautiful Province” (“La Belle Province” in French) and located in Eastern Canada, the province of Quebec shipped Cdn$124.3 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 44.1% increase starting from $86.2 billion starting five years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of Quebec’s exported goods gained 4.7% compared to $118.6 billion for 2023.

Blessed with an abundance of natural resources, 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 15.9% of Canada’s overall export sales for 2024, up from 15.5% in 2023.

Exported products from the province of Quebec’s amounted to 27.5% of the province’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product (CDN$452.1 billion for 2024).

Given Quebec’s population of 9 million people, its total $124.3 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $13,750 for every resident in the Eastern Canadian province. That dollar metric outpaces the average $13,250 per person one year earlier in 2023.

Quebec’s unemployment rate was 5.6% at December 31, 2024, up from 4.7% one year earlier per YCharts.

Quebec’s Top 15 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value for Quebec’s global shipments during 2024. 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. Large aircraft: CDN$8.2 billion (6.6%)
2. Unalloyed unwrought aluminum: $5.7 billion (4.6%)
3. Non-agglomerated iron ores, concentrates: $4.4 billion (3.6%)
4. Alloyed unwrought aluminum: $3.8 billion (3.1%)
5. Miscellaneous petroleum oils:: $3.4 billion (2.7%)
6. Gold (unwrought):: $3.2 billion (2.6%)
7. Turbo-jets (high-thrust): $2.5 billion (2%)
8. Refined copper wire: $2.3 billion (1.9%)
9. Medium-size aircraft: $2.2 billion (1.7%)
10. Medium-size diesel-powered trucks: $1.81 billion (1.5%)
11. Unwrought refined copper cathodes, cathode sections: $1.76 billion (1.4%)
12. Ground flying trainers including flight simulators, parts: $1.59 billion (1.3%)
13. Lumber sawn or chipped lengthwise: $1.49 billion (1.2%)
14. Turbo-jet/turbo-propeller parts: $1.48 billion (1.2%)
15. Large diesel-powered trucks: $1.2 billion (1%)

Quebec’s top 15 exports generated over one-third (36.3%) of the overall value of the province’s global shipments.

Medium-size diesel-powered trucks represents the fastest grower among Quebec’s top 15 export products, up by 57.1% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for Quebec’s improving export sales were large trucks powered by diesel which rose 43.8%.

Quebec’s shipments of unwrought refined copper cathodes and cathode sections appreciated by 23.9% compared to 2023, ahead of exported medium-size aircraft (up 22.1%) then large aircraft (up 21.1%).

The declines were for exports of miscellaneous petroleum oils fell by a -8.2% reduction from 2023, and exports from Quebec of high-thrust turbo-jets depreciated by -8% year over year.

More Key Facts about Quebec’s International Trade

Quebec generated a Cdn$17.5 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a 21% acceleration compared to Quebec’s $14.5 billion in black ink for 2023.

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 Cdn$106.8 billion for 2024, up from $104.2 billion one year prior.

Below are Quebec’s top 10 import products highlighting the province’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$4.7 billion (4.4% of Quebec’s total imports)
2. Turbo-jet/turbo-propeller parts: $4.1 billion (3.8%)
3. Aircraft including helicopter parts: $3.9 billion (3.7%)
4. Light petroleum oils: $2.61 billion (2.4%)
5. Aluminium oxides (excluding artificial corundum): $2.57 billion (2.4%)
6. Miscellaneous medications: $2.4 billion (2.2%)
7. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $2.2 billion (2.1%)
8. Unrefined copper, copper anodes: $1.5 billion (1.4%)
9. Turbo-jets (high-thrust): $1.2 billion (1.1%)
10. Immunological products in measured doses: $1.1 billion (1.1%)

Quebec has highly positive net exports in the international trade of aircraft and aluminum. 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 87.2% worth of the total value of products exported from the province of Quebec during 2024.

1. United States: CDN$91.2 billion (73.4% of Quebec’s total exports)
2. mainland China: $3.8 billion (3.1%)
3. Japan: $2.1 billion (1.7%)
4. Mexico: $2: billion (1.6%)
5. France: $1.9 billion (1.6%)
6. United Kingdom: $1.8 billion (1.4%)
7. Germany: $1.6 billion (1.3%)
8. Switzerland: $1.4 billion (1.1%)
9. Italy: $1.3 billion (1:%)
10. South Korea: $1.2 billion (1:%)

Quebec’s top trade partners in North America (United States and Mexico) bought three-quarters (75%) 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 (5.7%) and Europe (6.5%).

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:
FlagPictures.org, C.A. Provinces. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Government of Canada, Trade Data Online, Total exports, Distribution by province. Accessed on April 18, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Perplexity.ai, AI SearchWhat was nominal GDP for province of Quebec in 2024. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Wikipedia, List of largest public companies in Canada by profit. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Wikipedia, List of provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Wikipedia, List of largest companies in Canada. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Wikipedia, Category:Manufacturing companies of Canada. Accessed on April 18, 2025

Wikipedia, Quebec. Accessed on April 18, 2025

World Population Review, Quebec Population from chart. Accessed on April 18, 2025

YCharts, Canada Labour Force Survey Report. Accessed on April 18, 2025