Does Canada get 95 percent of its imports from the United States? No, that's not true: According to Statistics Canada, the national statistical office, the U.S. was the source of 62.2 percent of Canada's total imports in 2024, not 95 percent. Additionally, about 76 percent of Canada's exports go to the U.S.
The claim appeared in a video published on YouTube on February 20, 2025, titled "WATCH: Trump speaks at Republican Governor's Assoc. dinner | LiveNOW from FOX." The video's caption said:
President Trump addressed the Republican Governor's Association dinner on Thursday. The event was held at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.
This is what the post looked like on YouTube at the time of writing:
(Source: YouTube screenshot taken on Fri Feb 2115:56:05 2025 UTC)
The post does not provide any evidence to support the assertion that Canada gets 95 percent of its imports from the United States.
Republican Governors Association dinner
President Donald Trump's comments about Canada came at the 38:24 mark in the video (archived here). He said:
They get 95 percent of their product from the United States. I think they have to become the 51st state.
Trump went on to say this about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
I call him Gov. Trudeau. I said, 'Gov. Trudeau is doing a wonderful job.'
You can watch the video here:
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada, the country's national statistical office, compiles data on international trade with the United States. While the two nations are significant trading partners, Canada receives nowhere near 95 percent of its imports from its southern neighbor. A report (archived here) released February 5, 2025, says:
The United States is Canada's most important partner for international merchandise trade. In 2024, the combined value of Canada's imports and exports of goods traded with the United States surpassed the $1 trillion mark for a third consecutive year. In 2024, the United States was the destination for 75.9% of Canada's total exports, and was the source of 62.2% of Canada's total imports.
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Other Lead Stories fact checks on claims concerning Canada can be found here.
More Lead Stories fact checks on claims concerning Donald Trump can be found here.
