By Laura Dhillon Kane
(Bloomberg) — Statistics Canada has delayed the release of international merchandise trade data due to the U.S. government shutdown.
The agency said in a statement on Friday that it is no longer possible to publish the September data as originally scheduled on Nov. 4. The report will be delayed until the U.S. Census Bureau resumes normal operations and a new joint release date is agreed upon, it said.
“This shutdown directly impacts Statistics Canada’s ability to compile and publish Canadian international merchandise trade data, as Statistics Canada will not receive data on Canada’s exports to the United States for the duration of the shutdown,” it said.
It also warned the shutdown will impact third-quarter gross domestic product by expenditure and balance of international payments, as they rely on trade data as an input. The reports will be published as scheduled, but the special estimates — which would rely in part on modeled data — would face larger than normal revisions once the actual data becomes available, it said.
If the September data are still unavailable when trade statistics are compiled for the third quarter, Statistics Canada said it will produce special estimates of Canadian exports to the U.S. for that month.
However, monthly GDP by industry and quarterly GDP by income are not directly affected by the current situation, it said.
“While Statistics Canada’s current approach is to delay the publication of monthly international trade statistics, other options may be considered if the shutdown persists for an extended period in the United States,” it said.
“Statistics Canada is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates to users as new developments arise.”
The last time a U.S. government shutdown caused a delay in Canadian trade statistics was in early 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term.
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Last modified: October 24, 2025
