Firms Participating In Export Trade - Deep Dive

The industries with the largest numbers of international merchandise exporting establishments in Nova Scotia are goods producing — mainly manufacturing and agriculture and fishing — as well as service industries that participate in both wholesale and retail trade.

Exporting establishments in Nova Scotia were evenly split between Halifax and outside of Halifax. In 2020, there were 457 exporting establishments in Halifax and 515 outside of Halifax. Outside of Halifax, there were more establishments in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting and manufacturing, while Halifax had more establishments in service-based industries.

The manufacturing industry accounted for 64.1 per cent of Nova Scotia’s merchandise exports in 2020. It also produced $11.5 million dollars in exports per establishment. Wholesale trade accounted for another 23.8 per cent of the province’s merchandise exports, while agriculture and fishing accounted for 4.9 per cent and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction accounted for 3.4 per cent. Combined, these four industries generated 96.3 per cent of Nova Scotia’s merchandise exports and represent 65.9 per cent of the province’s exporting establishments.

The value of exports per establishment was $2.6 million in Halifax and $7.2 million outside of Halifax in 2020. The higher value outside of Halifax largely reflects the higher value of manufacturing output outside of Halifax.

Looking at detailed results for the manufacturing sector, food manufacturing had the largest number of merchandise exporting establishments.

Two of the province’s significant export industries stand out in the value of exports per exporting establishment by manufacturing sub-sector – pulp and paper manufacturing and tire manufacturing. Both show significantly above average export value per establishment.

Of the province’s 972 establishments participating in international merchandise exports in 2020, 71.2 per cent exported to a single country. However, the 280 establishments that exported to two or more countries accounted for a larger share (53 per cent) the total value of merchandise exports and had a higher export value per establishment.

Looking at the province’s largest merchandise export destinations, 754 establishments exported to the United States in 2020, accounting for 69.8 per cent of the value of merchandise exports. Exports to the United States had the second largest value per establishment with exports to China holding the highest value per establishment in 2020. There has been significant growth in the number of firms exporting to, and the value of exports destined for, Asian markets. From 2010 to 2020, the value of merchandise exports from Nova Scotia to Asian markets has more than doubled, displacing Europe as the province’s second largest export market. In particular, firms exporting to China, Japan, and South Korea have steadily grown.

Nova Scotia's 10 Largest Export Destinations, 2020

​​​*Note that the sum of the exporting establishments column exceeds the provincial total of 972. This is because some establishments export to two or more countries.

CHANGES TO THE INDICATOR, BASELINE, OR TARGET:

• We were not able to replicate the baseline number quoted in the Report of the Nova Scotia Commission on Building our New Economy.
• A new data source has since become available from Statistics Canada, which was adopted here.
• This new data source measures the number of business establishments participating in international merchandise exports. Note that an establishment is not the same as a business. A business can own multiple establishments.
• The change in indicator results in a new, higher baseline, but the target is still assumed to require 50% growth over the baseline.