There is likely to be much attention paid to the Canada/US trade relationship today. Lots of information has been shared about how much oil and gas we send to the United States, but little about how much Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and other regions heavily rely on imports from the U.S. This leaves Canada quite vulnerable from an energy security perspective should we get in an energy trade dispute with the U.S.
For information, please find enclosed an overview of Canadian Imports of US Crude, Natural Gas, and Refined Products (Source – CAPP January 2025).
By way of a brief summary:
- Parts of Canada are dependent on the US for imports of crude oil, natural gas, and refined products. This dependence poses a risk that Canadian retaliatory measures, such as export restrictions on US exports, could lead to similar actions from the United States, resulting in energy shortages and higher prices for Canadians. Regions across the country would be impacted.
- Ontario and Quebec are particularly vulnerable; about half of the natural gas they consume is imported from the United States. Additionally, Ontario and Quebec’s Montreal refinery depend entirely on crude oil delivered from the United States, with no immediate alternatives available. While there are options to deliver more Canadian natural gas via the Canadian Mainline, the pipeline would likely require capital investment to materially increase its flow rate. Line 9 could be reversed (once again) to provide some supply from offshore into Montreal and Ontario, but this cannot be done in the short term.
- Alberta imports over 200,000 barrels per day of light condensate to blend with heavy bitumen for transportation. A curtailment of these imports could increase costs for heavy oil producers and could cause operational issues that constrain production.
- British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario also depend on refined product imports, with limited alternatives. Due to this integration, Canada must consider the potential for energy shortages if the US curtails its deliveries to Canada.
(Source – CAPP January 2025)
Elisabeth Besson
Gestionnaire, Médias et Enjeux
Manager, Media and Issues
T 403.267.1179 C 403.465.2548 www.capp.ca