In the period from January-to-April, Nova Scotia’s international merchandise trade exports increased to $1.84 billion, an increase of 4.6 per cent or $80.1 million, compared to the same period in 2018.
According to data produced by Statistics Canada, the first quarter of this year when compared to the January to April period last year the largest increases in dollar value were in consumer goods; farm, fishing and international food; and, motor vehicles/parts.
On a year-to-date basis, export values increased in:
- Machinery/equipment by 32.9 per cent or $12.5 million
- Electronics by 18.1 per cent or $8.7 million
- Consumer goods by 12.7 per cent or $42 million
- Special transactions by 7.3 per cent or $1.3 million
- Farm, fishing and international food by 7 per cent or $25.7 million
- Motor vehicles/Parts by 5.4 per cent $23.8 million
- Metal/ores by 39.7 per cent $7 million
Export values, year to date, declined in:
- Forestry/building/packaging materials by 4.7 per cent or $12.7 million
- Metal/mineral products by 9.1 per cent or $7 million
- Chemical, plastic, rubber by 6 per cent or $7.1 million
- Transportation equipment by 5.6 per cent or $1.1 million
- Energy by 67.9 per cent or $13 million.
In the January-to-April period this year Nova Scotia reported a 5.3 per cent gain in non-energy exports, compared to the first three months of 2018.