NS Seafood Exports
Fishery exports have been the major growth driver for Nova Scotia food exports over the last few years. Most growth is driven by the lobster industry. Lobster exports totaled $1.31 billion in 2022 – up from $374 million in 2012. This is the result of strong demand for lobster, a weaker Canadian dollar, improved lobster prices, and increased landings since 2014.
| Year | Lobster | Crab | Shrimp | Scallops | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 339 | 108 | 105 | 141 | 406 |
| 2001 | 389 | 123 | 92 | 126 | 416 |
| 2002 | 427 | 142 | 122 | 135 | 410 |
| 2003 | 442 | 155 | 112 | 126 | 343 |
| 2004 | 399 | 160 | 92 | 122 | 317 |
| 2005 | 393 | 118 | 113 | 97 | 315 |
| 2006 | 390 | 81 | 107 | 92 | 304 |
| 2007 | 388 | 97 | 107 | 105 | 254 |
| 2008 | 352 | 91 | 57 | 95 | 248 |
| 2009 | 354 | 85 | 59 | 88 | 224 |
| 2010 | 330 | 88 | 66 | 89 | 222 |
| 2011 | 367 | 118 | 77 | 105 | 234 |
| 2012 | 374 | 134 | 83 | 98 | 234 |
| 2013 | 435 | 141 | 107 | 132 | 239 |
| 2014 | 577 | 172 | 114 | 164 | 234 |
| 2015 | 893 | 181 | 137 | 170 | 303 |
| 2016 | 953 | 223 | 113 | 141 | 380 |
| 2017 | 943 | 314 | 126 | 144 | 462 |
| 2018 | 1032 | 273 | 139 | 131 | 466 |
| 2019 | 1189 | 295 | 152 | 154 | 532 |
| 2020 | 1009 | 237 | 151 | 147 | 469 |
| 2021 | 1317 | 351 | 145 | 171 | 503 |
| 2022 | 1314 | 346 | 158 | 203 | 571 |
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Lobster prices, which have improved compared to 2012, may be the biggest factor behind the increased export growth. Prices averaged about $4.50 per pound in 2012 and 2013 and reached $7.5-8 per pound in recent years. With the Canadian and US dollars near parity in 2012, and in the 75-80 cent range over the last few years, the exchange rate has also aided higher exports. Lobster landings have averaged about 49 thousand tonnes per year from 2014 to 2021. Between 2010 and 2013 they only averaged about 40 thousand metric tonnes.
Several other fishery products also enjoyed growth between 2012 and 2022. Crab exports increased from $134 million to $346 million; shrimp exports increased from $83 million to $158 million; scallops increased from $98 million to $203 million; clam exports have jumped from virtually no exports in 2016 to $92 million in 2022 and halibut exports grew from $25 million in 2012 to $99 million.
Seafood Export Markets
The United States remains the dominant market for Nova Scotia seafood exports. In 2022, it accounted for about 47.4 per cent – $1.23 billion in exports. The fastest growth market for Nova Scotia’s seafood exports is Asia, where sales to countries like China ($646 million in 2022) and its special administrative region Hong Kong ($60 million), South Korea ($82 million), Japan ($66 million) and Vietnam ($59 million) have grown at a faster rate than sales to the US market over the last eight years. Seafood exports to China increased from $83 million in 2012 to $646 million in 2022 and account for 25% of total seafood exports. Exports to European Union countries totaled $346 million in 2022 from $133 in 2012. However, growth is slower there than in the US and Asian markets. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union reduced tariffs on seafood which could have a positive impact moving forward.
Agriculture Exports
Agriculture exports totaled $493 million in 2022 up from $229 million in 2012. They accounted for about 16.0 per cent of total food exports from Nova Scotia in 2022. The major products exported are frozen blueberries, other berries, apples, grains, and trees/plants.
About 50 per cent of Nova Scotia’s agriculture exports went to the United States in 2022, with most remaining exports destined for European and Asian markets. Most of the growth in recent years is in exports to the US and China markets.
Note: Due to differences in source data, the data for both seafood and agriculture exports differ slightly from the data reported by the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. It should also be noted that Statistics Canada’s export data do not count Nova Scotia’s mink production as an international export and thus, it is not included in this data set.
CHANGES TO THE INDICATOR, BASELINE, OR TARGET:
- The baseline number from the OneNS report was corrected for error.
- The target was adjusted to double the revised baseline.
- Contextual numbers were removed from the statement of the goal. This was done to keep the goal consistent in case of future historical revisions to the data.