DEAL NB ANALYSIS
New Brunswick Exports: Products, Markets and 2025 Trade Trends
A focused analysis of New Brunswick merchandise exports, leading products, trade exposure and the signals behind 2025 results.
New Brunswick is a trade-oriented province whose export results are strongly influenced by energy, forestry, seafood, industrial production and access to the United States. Merchandise exports reached $16.0 billion in 2025. That was a substantial total, but it represented an 8.6% decline from the previous year.
Understanding the change requires more than comparing two annual totals. Product prices, shipment volumes, destination markets and the concentration of major commodities all affect export value.
New Brunswick’s 2025 merchandise trade
| Indicator | 2025 result | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Merchandise exports | $16.0 billion | -8.6% |
| Merchandise imports | Approximately $15.3 billion | -11.2% |
| Merchandise trade balance | +$694.7 million | Up from $261.7 million in 2024 |
The trade surplus widened because imports declined more rapidly than exports. A larger surplus therefore did not mean that export activity increased.
Energy influenced the annual decline
The provincial economic review identifies lower oil export volumes and lower oil prices as the principal reasons for the decrease in 2025. This illustrates an important feature of New Brunswick’s trade profile: changes in a high-value commodity can materially affect the provincial total even when other industries are stable or growing.
Energy products were also the largest contributor to export growth in 2024, when merchandise exports reached $17.4 billion. The change between 2024 and 2025 therefore reflects both the importance and the volatility of energy trade.
Forestry, seafood and processed products remain significant
Forestry products, building and packaging materials were among the major contributors to export growth in 2024. In 2025, softwood lumber export volumes were broadly flat, and forestry exports declined mainly because of lower paper and paper-product exports.
Seafood and food processing also form an important part of the trade base. Seafood product preparation and packaging generated approximately $1.7 billion in manufacturing sales in 2025. Export performance in these sectors can depend on harvest conditions, international demand, exchange rates, logistics, food standards and processing capacity.
Read Manufacturing in New Brunswick for additional industrial context.
The United States remains central
In 2024, 90.4% of New Brunswick’s merchandise exports were destined for the United States. In 2025, exports to the United States declined by 8.6%, while exports to non-U.S. destinations fell by 8.7%.
The largest gains among non-U.S. destinations in 2025 were recorded with Poland, Argentina and the United Kingdom. The most notable declines were with the Netherlands, China and Gibraltar. These changes can be meaningful for individual products without immediately altering the province’s overall concentration in the U.S. market.
Why diversification matters
New Brunswick’s 2026 economic development strategy makes export growth and diversification one of three principal objectives. Diversification can refer to more than countries. It can include new Canadian customers, different product categories, higher-value processing, additional channels and a wider group of buyers within established markets.
The province also identifies stronger ports, transportation infrastructure and interprovincial trade as important economic opportunities. These priorities reflect the connection between export growth and the systems that move goods, information and services.
Trade statistics require context
- Value is not volume. Export dollars can decline because prices fall even when physical shipments change less.
- A trade surplus is not automatically growth. The balance can widen because imports fall faster than exports.
- Provincial totals can be concentrated. A small number of high-value categories can drive the annual result.
- Product and destination data should be read together. Market concentration may vary significantly by industry.
- Merchandise trade does not include the full service economy. Services require separate data and analysis.
Trade infrastructure is changing
Port Saint John handled a record 239,364 twenty-foot equivalent units of container cargo in 2025, an increase of 29.4%. The port also handled 25.4 million metric tonnes of liquid bulk and 1.3 million metric tonnes of dry bulk. Growing container capacity can support a broader range of importers and exporters, although port throughput should not be confused with merchandise produced within New Brunswick.
For more information, read Trade and Logistics in New Brunswick.
What companies should monitor
- changes in U.S. and Canadian trade policy;
- energy and commodity prices;
- port, rail and highway capacity;
- currency movements and transportation costs;
- sector-specific standards and procurement requirements;
- growth in non-U.S. and interprovincial demand.
Organizations assessing the commercial relevance of New Brunswick can explore Deal NB’s services or start a focused conversation.
Sources and data note
- Government of New Brunswick, The New Brunswick Economy: 2025 in Review
- Government of New Brunswick, The New Brunswick Economy: 2024 in Review
- Government of New Brunswick, Economic Development Strategy, 2026
- Port Saint John, 2025 Annual Report results
Data reviewed August 11, 2026. Trade values can be revised and are influenced by prices, volumes and classification changes.
This analysis uses dated public information from the sources listed. Figures may be revised and do not constitute legal, financial or investment advice.
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