China and Canada
The relationship combines resources, agriculture and manufacturing with issues of security and trade access. Mark Carney's January 2026 visit to Beijing announced a new strategic partnership. Trade commitments have their own conditions and do not erase all disagreements.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Five pillars of a new partnership
The January statement identifies energy, economic and trade cooperation, public security, multilateralism and cultural connections.
Agriculture and manufacturing in the negotiations
The Canadian communication links trade diversification with access for agri-food products and industrial activity.
The 16 January 2026 statement
The leaders announced a framework for follow-up and dialogue during the visit.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 89,506.68 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: China to Canada | 47,969.68 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: Canada to China | 41,537 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to Canada | 1.27 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Export share: Canada to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in Canada | ||
| Investment stock: Canada in China |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: China to Canada
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Canada to China
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: China to Canada
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods share: CHN exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | China | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 2.32 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 55,697.66 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | 1.74 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | 2.25 %2026-09-02 · BoC |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 2.07 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 0.8 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · NBS China | 3 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · StatCan |
| Unemployment | 4.62 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 6.91 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 113.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | -0.95 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 41,651,6532025 · WB |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 9,984,670 km²2012 · StatCan |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChina: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)China: 2026-09-24 · PBoC: 7-day reverse repo · People’s Bank of China · Published: 2026-09-24 · Rate of the official operation consulted, not the mortgage LPR or the PSL lending rate. Subsequent operations with zero volume are not converted into a 0% interest rate.Canada: 2026-09-02 · Overnight rate target · Bank of Canada
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankCanada: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChina: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · National Bureau of Statistics of China · Published: 2026-09-09 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.Canada: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · Statistics Canada · Published: 2026-09-14 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChina: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Canada: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Canada: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Canada: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankCanada: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOCanada: 2012 · Total area of Canada, land and water; archived official geographic reference from 2012 · Statistics Canada · Not an annual measurement for 2025. Replaces an API observation that does not match the national reference.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
China to Canada
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 7,884.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 7,880 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 2,382.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 352 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 106.6 M USD2025 · Source |
Canada to China
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 10,718.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 597.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 400 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 398.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 62.8 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from China living in Canada | ||
| Residents from Canada living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in Canada | ||
| Study and training: Canada in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in Canada | ||
| Academic stays: Canada in China | ||
| Travel: China to Canada | ||
| Travel: Canada to China |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Five pillars of a new partnership
The January statement identifies energy, economic and trade cooperation, public security, multilateralism and cultural connections. This range allows agendas involving different authorities to be distinguished. The visit was the first by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017. The agreement's diplomatic level does not imply identical foreign policies or constitute a general obligation of mutual defence. [1] [2]
Agriculture and manufacturing in the negotiations
The Canadian communication links trade diversification with access for agri-food products and industrial activity. Access measures have conditions and deadlines; an announced change does not mean that any product can enter without controls. The table's goods trade records actual shipments with a common reporter. Investment figures and future commitments belong to different measures. [2]
Resources and business collaboration
Energy and businesses form part of the agreed pillars. The relationship may encompass resource sales, financing and projects spanning several years, which must not be added as a single trade flow. Canada's diversification objective explains the government agenda; it is an announced strategy, not verification of each initiative's profitability or implementation. The indicators separate observed activity from institutional objectives. [1]
The scale of the two economies
China recorded nominal GDP of 19,498 billion USD in 2025, compared with 2,319.9 in 2025 for Canada. The reference populations were 1,406.59 million (2025) and 41.65 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, China's nominal GDP was 8.4 times Canada's. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [4] [5]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The 16 January 2026 statement
The leaders announced a framework for follow-up and dialogue during the visit. Its date follows the year of the customs data accompanying the profile. Those data therefore serve as an economic reference, not an assessment of the new partnership's effects. The statement also includes contacts between societies, with a different scope from tariffs and sectoral negotiations. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between China and Canada totalled 89,506.7 million USD. Shipments from China to Canada were 47,969.7 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 41,537 million USD. China's shipments to the partner represented 1.27% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Canada–China joint statement
Prime Minister of Canada · Institutional source · Document: 2026-01-16 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- New partnership and trade access
Prime Minister of Canada · Institutional source · Document: 2026-01-16 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 156; partners 0,826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.