Gold Exports Mask Weakness in Canada’s Broader Trade Picture

A display of gold coins during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto.

Photographer: Christopher Katsarov Luna/Bloomberg

Canada posted a C$583 million ($421 million) trade deficit in October, but surging precious‑metal exports — mostly gold — are doing a lot of heavy lifting. Strip those out, and Canada would have a C$8.2 billion shortfall.

The gap underscores how the country’s trade fortunes have become more dependent on global demand for bullion.