Market Snapshot: Overview of 2024 Canada-U.S. Energy Trade

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Release date: 2025-07-09

  • Canada and the United States (U.S.) share a highly connected energy system. This summary of Canada’s trade at the national level shows these connectionsFootnote 1.
  • A network of dozens of pipelines transport crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and refined petroleum products (RPPs)Footnote 2 between Canada and the U.S. along with fleets of rail, marine, and freight vehicles. Additionally, 86 international power lines move electricity between provinces and U.S. states.
  • Exports of crude oil, RPPs, natural gas, and NGLs to the U.S. totaled $169.8 billionFootnote 3 for the Canadian economy in 2024 (Figure 1), representing 21.7% of Canada’s total goods exported globallyFootnote 4.
  • Imports of crude oil, RPPs, natural gas, and NGLs from the U.S. amounted to $33.4 billion in 2024 (Figure 1), accounting for 4.4% of Canada’s total goods imported globallyFootnote 5.
  • In 2024, electricity exports to the U.S. were valued at $3.1 billion, representing 0.4% of total goods exported from Canada to all countriesFootnote 6. Electricity imports from the U.S. were valued at $1.2 billion, representing 0.2% of total goods imported into Canada from all countriesFootnote 7.

Exports of Canadian Energy to the U.S.Footnote 8

  • In 2024, Canada provided 70.2% of the volume of hydrocarbons imported by the U.S. More specifically, Canada provided 61.7% of the crude oil and close to 100% of the natural gas imported by the U.S. Canada also supplied 25.3% of the RPPs and 97.2% of the NGLs imported by the U.S.
  • Canada was the source of 81.6% of the electrical energy imported by the U.S.

Canada-U.S. Hydrocarbon Trade

  • Although primarily a hydrocarbon-exporting nation, Canada imported 1.4 million barrels per day of oil equivalent (BOE/d) of hydrocarbons in 2024 from 58 countries. The U.S. accounted for 83.9% of that total.
  • In 2024, Canada exported 6.3 million BOE/d of hydrocarbons to 110 countries, the U.S. accounting for 94.4%.
  • Of all the hydrocarbons exported from Canada to the U.S. in 2024, crude oil made up the largest share at 67.9%, followed by natural gas at 23.4%, RPPs at 5.8%, and NGLs at 2.9%.
  • Of all the hydrocarbons imported to Canada from the U.S. in 2024, crude oil was 31.2% of the total BOE/d, RPPs were 32.4%, natural gas was 28.3% and NGLs were 8.1%.

Figure 1: Annual Hydrocarbon Imports from the U.S. and Exports to the U.S. Categorized by Product (2015-2024)

Source and Text Alternative

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (CIMT) (data extracted May 2025) – HS271121, HS 271111, HS270900, HS271113, HS2901100011, HS2901100012, HS2901100040, HS2711199010, HS271012, HS271019, HS271020.

Text Alternative: This figure displays two yearly stacked bar charts of hydrocarbon exports to the U.S. and imports from the U.S. in barrel of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) from 2015 to 2024. The left chart shows exports to the U.S. and the right chart shows imports from the U.S. The total value in billion dollars for each year is labeled at the top of each bar.

Canada-U.S. Energy Trade by Type

Crude Oil

Figure 2: Annual Crude Oil Imports and Exports (2015-2024)

Source and Text Alternative

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (CIMT) (data extracted May 2025) – HS270900

Text Alternative: This figure shows a yearly stacked bar chart for crude oilFootnote 9 imports and exports in million barrels per day (MMb/d) by source and destination (U.S. versus other countries) from 2015 to 2024. Exports are displayed as positive values, with dark blue representing exports to the U.S. and dark orange for exports to other countries. Imports are shown as negative values, with light blue representing imports from the U.S. and light orange for imports from other countries.

  • In 2024, Canada exported 4.2 MMb/d of crude oil. Of this, 95.7% or 4.0 MMb/d went to the U.S.
  • Crude oil exports to the U.S. were valued at $140.8 billion in 2024.
  • In 2024, Canada imported 0.5 MMb/d of crude oil. Of this, 74.6% or 0.4 MMb/d, came from the U.S.
  • Crude oil imports from the U.S. were valued at $14.2 billion in 2024.

Natural Gas

Figure 3: Annual Natural Gas Imports and Exports (2015-2024)

Source and Text Alternative

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (CIMT) (data extracted May 2025) – HS271121 and HS271111

Text Alternative: This figure shows a yearly stacked bar chart for natural gas imports and exports in billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by source and destination (U.S. versus other countries) from 2015 to 2024. Exports are displayed as positive values, with dark blue representing exports to the U.S. and dark orange for exports to other countries. Imports are shown as negative values, with light blue representing imports from the U.S. and light orange for imports from other countries.

  • In 2024, Canada exported 8.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas, all of which went to the U.S.
  • Natural gas exports to the U.S. were valued at $8.3 billion in 2024.
  • In 2024, Canada imported 2.0 Bcf/d of natural gas of which 96.0% came from the U.S.
  • Natural gas imports from the U.S. were valued at $2.0 billion in 2024.

Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs)

Figure 4: Annual Ethane, Propane, and Butane Imports and Exports (2015-2024)

Source and Text Alternative

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (CIMT) (data extracted May 2025) – HS2901100040 & HS2711199010 (ethane); HS271112 (propane); and HS271113, HS2901100011 & HS2901100012 (butane)

Text Alternative: This figure presents three yearly stacked bar charts: one for butane, one for propane, and one for ethane. Each chart displays imports and exports in thousand barrels per day (Mb/d), categorized by source and destination (U.S. versus other countries) 2015 to 2024. Exports are displayed as positive values, with dark blue representing exports to the U.S. and dark orange for exports to other countries. Imports are shown as negative values, with light blue representing imports from the U.S. and light orange for imports from other countries.

  • NGLs are light hydrocarbons recovered from natural gas production and oil refineries. These liquids include, but are not limited to, ethane, propane, butane, and pentanes plus.
  • In 2024, Canada exported 281.3 Mb/d of NGLs, with 62.4% or 175.4 Mb/d going to the U.S.
  • NGL exports to the U.S. were valued at $3.2 billion in 2024.
  • In 2024, Canada imported 94.3 Mb/d of NGLs—nearly 100% from the U.S.
  • NGL imports from the U.S. were valued at $0.5 billion in 2024.

Refined Petroleum Products (RPP)

Figure 5: Annual Refined Petroleum Products Imports and Exports (2015-2024)

Source and Text Alternative

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (CIMT) (data extracted May 2025) – HS271012, HS271019, HS271020

Text Alternative: This figure shows a yearly stacked bar chart for (RPPs) imports and exports in million barrels per day (MMb/d) by source and destination (U.S. versus other countries) 2015 to 2024. Exports are displayed as positive values, with dark blue representing exports to the U.S. and dark orange for exports to other countries. Imports are shown as negative values, with light blue representing imports from the U.S. and light orange for imports from other countries.

  • RPPs include a wide range of products refined from crude oil, such as motor gasoline, distillate fuel oil (diesel), heating oil, and kerosene jet fuel, among others.
  • In 2024, Canada exported 0.41 MMb/d of RPPs. Of this, 85.3% or 0.35 MMb/d, went to the U.S.
  • RPP exports to the U.S. were valued at $17.5 billion in 2024.
  • In 2024, Canada imported 0.46 MMb/d of RPPs. Of this, 80.7% or 0.37 MMb/d came from the U.S.
  • RPP imports from the U.S. were valued at $16.8 billion in 2024.

Electricity

Figure 6: Annual Electricity Imports and Exports from and to the U.S. (2015-2024)

Source and Text Alternative

Source: Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (CIMT) (data extracted May 2025) – HS271600

Text Alternative: This figure shows a yearly stacked bar chart for electricity imports and exports in Terawatt hours (TWh) with the U.S. from 2015 to 2024. Exports are displayed as positive values, with dark blue representing exports to the U.S. Imports are shown as negative values, with light blue representing imports from the U.S. Canada does not import or export electricity from or to other countries.

  • Electricity imports and exports play a critical role in ensuring the reliability of the electricity systems in Canadian provinces and U.S. states.
  • All of Canada’s electricity trade is with the U.S. In 2024, Canada exported 35.7 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, valued at $3.1 billion.
  • Canada imported 20.9 TWh of electricity, valued at $1.2 billion in 2024.Footnote 10
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