Trade Statistics On-Line
(Updated 2004-12-23)

Imports and Exports

• Canada: Minerals and Mineral Products, by Selected Countries, Imports and Exports (Including Coal), 1988-2005, Stages I to IV
  
  
• Canada: Minerals and Mineral Products, by Selected Countries, Imports and Exports (Including Fuels), 1988-2005, Stages I to IV
  
  
• Canada: Minerals and Mineral Products, by Selected Countries, Non-Fuel Imports and Exports, 1988-2005, Stages I to IV
  
  
• Canada: Minerals and Mineral Products (Including Coal), Value of Total Exports, Domestic Exports and Imports, by Stage and Percentage of Total Economy, 1988-2005
  
  
• Canada: Minerals and Mineral Products (Including Fuels), Value of Total Exports, Domestic Exports and Imports, by Stage and Percentage of Total Economy, 1988-2005
  
  
• Canada: Minerals and Mineral Products (Non-Fuel), Value of Total Exports, Domestic Exports and Imports, by Stage and Percentage of Total Economy, 1988-2005

Background

Prior to 1988, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) used a computer system developed in cooperation with Statistics Canada to provide reports on Canadian mineral trade statistics from the Canadian International Trade Classification (CITC) system.

In 1988, the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System or H.S.) was introduced. This system had been developed to provide a better means of coding traded products that are used throughout the world. It was designed so that all member countries of the World Customs Organization, formerly the Customs Co-operation Council, in Brussels, would use the same definition of products imported and exported, to the six-digit level, and to provide more detail on trade products. With the introduction of the Harmonized System in 1988, data classified under the CITC system were no longer available or supported by Statistics Canada.

Even with a much improved coding system, NRCan had no means of compiling the data to meet its particular needs. Statistics Canada developed a system called Trade Information, Enquiry and Retrieval System (TIERS) to provide access to H.S. codes. This system, however, did not satisfy the needs of NRCan users. Users were spending many hours retrieving data and inputting the same data into spreadsheets for manipulation so they could produce data by product, specialty groupings, etc. NRCan was faced with the challenge of developing a system that would meet the needs of the department. Thus began the development of TRAGS.

The Trade Retrieval and Aggregation System (TRAGS) is a computerized data base developed by NRCan that contains various statistical data on international trade in the mineral industry. The data in the system allow for the analysis of various aspects of mineral trade for both imports and exports. This computerized system is designed to be user-friendly; to accelerate and facilitate the retrieval of, search for and compilation of trade elements; to be capable of generating analyses adapted to user needs; and to fulfill ad hoc requests. Its purpose is to provide an effective, up-to-date analytical tool of Canadian international trade data.

TRAGS uses statistical data compiled by the International Trade Division of Statistics Canada, which is the same set of data Statistics Canada uses for its TIERS program. Complementary information generated to meet the specific requirements of NRCan's Minerals and Metals Sector, prepared by the Minerals and Mining Statistics Division, has been added.

TRAGS allows NRCan users to retrieve and compile trade data by country, province or territory, geographic region, economic association and transport type. Also, the internal user can choose selections by H.S. Code at the 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10-digit levels; industry (mining, forestry and energy); commodity groups (metals, nonmetals, etc.); commodities (gold, silver, coal, pulpwood, etc.); stage (defined in the Key Definitions); component (ferrous, nonmetals, etc.); and in specialty groups (ores and concentrates, International Lead Zinc report, etc.); reviews and specialty reviews (specific to the Canadian Minerals Yearbook published by the Minerals and Metals Sector). All data are available by month, by quarter and by year. TRAGS also includes aggregation, copy and paste, search, sort and graphing capabilities, as well as view criteria and view description functions. It is important to note that the reports generated by TRAGS are designed specifically for use by Natural Resources Canada. However, some useful summary tables appear in the statistics area of this page.

Key Definitions

The following definitions were extracted from the noted Statistics Canada trade publications:

Imports by Country (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 65-006-XPB) and Exports by Country (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 65-003-XPB).

Total Exports
Total exports represent the sum of domestic exports and re-exports.

Domestic Exports
Domestic exports exclude re-exports. They represent total exports less re-exports.

Domestic exports include goods grown, extracted or manufactured in Canada, including goods of foreign origin that have been materially transformed in Canada.

On January 1, 1990, Canada entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States concerning the exchange of import data. As a consequence, each administration is using the other's import data to replace its own export data.

To countries other than the United States, exports are, in principal, valued or recorded at the values declared on export documents, which usually reflect the transaction value, i.e., actual selling price, or in the case of a non-arm's-length transaction, the transfer price used for company accounting purposes. Canadian exports to overseas countries are valued at F.O.B. (Free on Board) port of exit, including domestic freight charges to that point but net of discounts and allowances. As of January 1990, Canadian exports to the United States are valued F.O.B. point of exit from Canada. Prior to 1990, they were valued F.O.B. place of loading net of freight charges, discounts and allowances.

Exports are attributed to the country that is the last known destination of the goods at the time of export. Exports to the United States are attributed to the state of destination.

Re-Exports
Re-exports are the exports of goods of foreign origin that have not been materially transformed in Canada. This includes foreign goods withdrawn for export from bonded customs warehouses.

Imports
Imports represent the sum of imports and re-imports (dutiable trade).

Under the "General" system of trade as defined by the United Nations Statistical Office, imports include all goods that have crossed Canada's territorial boundary, whether for immediate use in Canada or stored in bonded Customs warehouses. Under the "General System," the statistical frontier coincides with the geographical boundary.

For Customs purposes, imports are recorded at values established according to the provisions of the Customs Act, which, since January 1, 1985, reflects valuation methods based on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Valuation Code System. It generally requires the value for duty of imported goods be equivalent to the transaction value or the price actually paid.

To determine the transaction value of imported goods, all transportation and associated costs arising in respect of the goods being appraised prior to and at the place of direct shipment to Canada are to be added to the price of the goods. Therefore, Canadian imports are valued F.O.B. (Free on Board) place of direct shipment to Canada. It excludes freight and insurance costs in bringing the goods to Canada from the point of direct shipment.

Imports are attributed to their country of origin, that is, the country in which the goods were grown, extracted or manufactured in accordance to the rules of origin specified by the Canada Border Services Agency. Imports from the United States are attributed to the state of origin. Prior to 1988, most imports were attributed to the country of export/consignment with the exception of imports from Central and South America.

Balance of Trade
The balance of trade is calculated by subtracting total imports from total exports.

Stages (as Defined by NRCan)

Stages have been assigned according to the degree of processing or manufacturing corresponding to the product classification code. The following four stages are used by TRAGS to define the mineral industry:

Stage I - Primary
Involves the discovery of ore, ore extraction and processing to the concentrate stage. Scrap material, ash and tailings have been placed in this category.

Stage II - Smelting and Refining
Refers to the metallurgical extraction process, the product of which is a relatively pure mineral, a metal or an alloy. Some of the activities related to this stage are smelting and refining, roasting, calcining, direct reducing and leaching. Products classified under this stage include powders, flakes, dusts, cathodes, ingots, pig, blocks and plates.

Stage III - Semi-Fabricated
Involves the manufacturing or processing steps required to bring products to a semi-finished or semi-fabricated stage or form, or to a state for use as input in other industries. Products related to Stage III include rods, plates, sheets, thin strips, pipes, rails, wires, metal-based structural forms and a number of chemicals and compounds. Also included are ingot moulds.

Stage IV - Fabricated
Includes products of Stage III that have undergone further processing, such as elements produced by the metal framing industry, hardware items, tools and cutlery. This stage includes products such as pipe fittings, forged and cast parts, grinding balls and rail parts.

If you require further explanation or clarification of the above definitions, or if you have any questions concerning the statistical information provided, please contact France Séguin by e-mail at fransegu@nrcan.gc.ca.