Top Markets

Profiles of Canada’s leading canola markets

United States

Total export value (2024): CAD $7.7 billion

Market profile
Top market for canola oil and meal
Total annual vegetable oil consumption for food use (2024): 11.36 MMT

Imports of Canadian canola (2024)

Seed: 277,519 MT, valued at CAD $237 million
Oil: 3.3 MMT, valued at CAD $5.6 billion
Meal: 3.8 MMT, valued at CAD $1.8 billion

Market trends
Canola is the number two edible oil in the country.
Oil imports hit a new record of 3.3 MMT in 2024.
Meal imports have been between 2.9 and 3.8 MMT annually over the past decade.

Economic benefits of importing Canadian canola
USD $11.2 billion/year in U.S. economic activity
22,000 U.S. jobs

MT = metric tonnes
MMT = million metric tonnes

Sources: GlobalData Plc; Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database; The Economic Impact of Canadian-Grown Canola on the U.S. Economy: 2024 Update (GlobalData Plc, August 2024)

China

Total export value (2024): CAD $4.9 billion

Market profile

Top market for canola seed
Largest vegetable oil consumer in the world
Total annual vegetable oil consumption for food use (2024): 38.3 MMT

Consumption of Canadian canola (2024)

Seed: 5.9 MMT, valued at CAD $4.0 billion
Oil: 644 MT, valued at CAD $1.5 million
Meal: 2.0 MMT, valued at CAD $921 million

Market trends
After a three-year market disruption (from 2019-2022), seed imports returned to more normal levels.
Canola meal imports have increased significantly over the past decade.

Economic benefits of importing Canadian canola
USD $3.6 billion of economic activity/year
16,150 jobs in China

MT = metric tonnes
MMT = million metric tonnes

Sources: GlobalData; Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database; The Economic Impact of Canadian-Grown Canola on the Chinese Economy (LMC International, December 2013)

Canada

Market profile
Total annual vegetable oil consumption for food use (2024): 1.25 MMT

Consumption of Canadian canola (2024)

Oil: 1,350,870 MT
Meal: 835,261 MT 

Market trends
Canola oil is the #1 edible oil for Canadian consumers, accounting for more than half of all vegetable oil consumed in Canada.
Oil consumption continues to rise.
Biofuel is the newest Canadian market opportunity.

Economic benefits to Canada
CAD $43.7 billion of economic activity/year
206,000 Canadian jobs

MT = metric tonnes
MMT = million metric tonnes

Sources: GlobalData Plc; The Economic Impact of Canola on the Canadian Economy: 2024 Update (GlobalData Plc, August 2024)

Japan

Total export value (2024): CAD $696 million

Market profile
Values Canadian canola seed
Total annual vegetable oil consumption for food use (2024): 1.92 MMT

Consumption of Canadian canola (2024)

Seed: 981,240 MT, valued at CAD $689 million
Oil: 4,089 MT, valued at CAD $6.9 million

Market trends
Lower exports in recent years due to market dynamics, however, Japan continues to value Canadian canola.

MT = metric tonnes
MMT = million metric tonnes

Sources: GlobalData; Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database

Mexico

Total export value (2024): CAD $559 million

Market profile
A consistent buyer of Canadian canola seed
Total annual vegetable oil consumption for food use (2024): 2.57 MMTT

Consumption of Canadian canola (2024)

Seed: 599,688 MT, valued at CAD $395 million
Oil: 84,840 MT, valued at CAD $164 million 

Market trends
Canola is Canada’s top agri-food export to Mexico.
Canola oil consumption has risen over the past five years.

Economic benefits of importing Canadian canola
MXN $21.9 billion/year in economic activity
7,100 jobs in Mexico

MT = metric tonnes
MMT = million metric tonnes

Sources: GlobalData; Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database; The Economic Impact of Canadian-Grown Canola on the Mexican Economy (LMC International, March 2017)

Top 20 markets for Canadian canola

Canadian canola exports – 2024 calendar year

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database
Updated: February 13, 2025

wdt_ID Country Total Value (CAD $) Seed Exports (MT) Oil Exports (MT) Meal Exports (MT)
1 TOTAL EXPORTS TO ALL MARKETS $14.5 billion 8,635,687 3,487,454 5,779,880
2 United States $7.7 billion 277,519 3,342,928 3,768,700
3 China $4.9 billion 5,863,794 644 2,010,323
4 Japan $696 million 981,240 4,089
5 Mexico $559 million 599,688 84,840
6 European Union $333 million 491,369 10,199
7 United Arab Emirates $233 million 349,281 1,704
8 Korea, South $56 million 1,452 39,085
9 Bangladesh $25 million 35,628
10 Nepal $17 million 21,409
11 Malaysia $9 million 9,464 1,144
12 Australia $3.9 million 3,380 225
13 Colombia $1.7 million 78 698
14 Egypt $1.5 million 1,100
15 Kuwait $958,967 422
16 New Zealand $641,812 294
17 Saudi Arabia $605,989 264
18 Hong Kong $494,186 201
19 Vietnam $492,469 73 103 632
20 Thailand $344,225 169
21 Lebanon $306,142 142

Quick Links

Top markets

Profiles of Canada’s leading canola markets

Production

Current and historic data for annual canola acres, total production and average yields

Exports

Current and historic data for canola seed, oil and meal exports

Prices

Average monthly export values for canola seed, oil and meal since 2010

Domestic Processing

Current and historic data for total domestic crush, oil production and meal production

Supply & disposition

Annual data tracking supply and movement of Canadian canola