The Top 10 Imports from China to Canada in 2025 (And What It Means for Your Supply Chain)

If you're importing from China to Canada, you're in good company. In 2025 alone, Canada imported US$65.68 billion worth of goods from China-making China the country's second-largest trading partner after the United States.

But here's the question that matters to your business: what exactly is Canada buying from China, and how does that affect your shipping strategy?

Whether you're already in one of these categories or looking to expand into a new product line, knowing what's moving across the Pacific-and how to move it efficiently-can make or break your bottom line. Let's dive into the top 10 imports from China to Canada in 2025, ranked by value, and unpack what they mean for your logistics planning.

The Top 10 List (2025, by Import Value)

Source: UN Comtrade Database

What These Numbers Actually Tell You

Let's be real-those are big numbers, but they're just the starting point. Here's what each category means for your shipping strategy:

1. Electrical machinery and equipment ($14.98B) - This is the heavyweight champion, accounting for nearly a quarter of all Canadian imports from China. Think smartphones, batteries, chargers, and consumer electronics. These products are typically high-value, relatively compact, and time-sensitive-meaning air freight is often the go-to for urgent restocks, while ocean freight handles bulk replenishment.

2. Machinery and mechanical appliances ($11.61B) - Industrial equipment, engines, pumps, and mechanical parts. These are bulkier, heavier, and often shipped as full container loads (FCL). Transit time matters less than cost per unit, making ocean freight the clear winner.

3. Furniture, bedding, lighting, prefabricated buildings ($3.68B) - Large, bulky, and volume-heavy. Shipping furniture from China to Canada is all about optimizing container space. A single 40ft container can hold a surprising amount of flat-pack furniture-but you need a forwarder who knows how to maximize cube utilization.

4. Plastics and plastic articles ($3.26B) - From packaging materials to automotive components, plastics are everywhere. These shipments are often consistent and repeatable, making them ideal for long-term freight contracts.

5. Toys, games, and sports goods ($3.10B) - Seasonal and highly dependent on holiday cycles. Miss the window, and you miss the sales. Timing is everything-which means your China To Canada Freight Forwarder needs to understand peak seasons and secure vessel space well in advance.

6. Vehicles and parts ($3.05B) - Auto parts, electric vehicles, and components. This category has seen explosive growth-in April 2026 alone, Chinese vehicle exports to Canada surged 470% year-over-year. These shipments often require specialized handling, warehousing, and just-in-time delivery.

**7. Articles of iron or steel ($2.89B)** - Heavy, dense, and subject to tariffs. Steel imports from China to Canada totaled US$266.83 million in 2025, and navigating tariff classifications is critical.

8. Knitted or crocheted clothing ($1.86B) - Apparel is a classic China-to-Canada category. Fast fashion means fast shipping-many apparel importers rely on a mix of air freight for new collections and ocean freight for bulk replenishment.

9. Non-knitted clothing and accessories ($1.42B) - Same story, different fabric. Canada imported approximately 4.6 billion Canadian dollars of apparel from China in 2024 alone.

10. Optical, medical, measuring instruments ($1.42B) - High-value, precision equipment. These shipments often require temperature control, anti-vibration packaging, and expedited customs clearance.

The 2026 Reality Check: What's Changed?

Here's the thing about importing from China to Canada right now-it's not just about the product. It's about the logistics environment.

Since the second half of 2025, the full implementation of the Canada Customs Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) system has added a new layer of compliance complexity. Every importer now needs to register on the CBSA's CARM Client Portal-no exceptions. And with Vancouver port congestion pushing vessel waiting times up by over 306% year-over-year, your cargo can sit at the terminal for days before it's even unloaded.

That means your choice of China To Canada Freight Forwarder isn't just about who offers the lowest rate-it's about who can actually get your cargo through the port, onto a train, and to your warehouse on time.

Where XMAE Logistics Comes In

This is where experience and relationships make all the difference. At XMAE Logistics, we're not just another forwarding agent-we're your on-the-ground partner in both China and Canada.

Based in Xiamen-one of China's most efficient gateway ports with direct sailings to Vancouver and Prince Rupert-we have deep relationships with major carriers and a front-row seat to the market shifts that affect your shipments. We're a government-licensed freight forwarder with IATA, FIATA, FMC, and NVOCC approvals, and our network spans over 100 overseas agents worldwide.

What really sets us apart as your China To Canada Freight Forwarder is our end-to-end capability. Whether you're shipping electronics from Shenzhen, furniture from Ningbo, or auto parts from Shanghai, we handle the full door-to-door process: pickup from your supplier, export clearance, ocean or air transport, Canadian customs brokerage (including CARM registration support), and final delivery to Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, or anywhere else in Canada.

And because we're not tied to any single shipping line, when we plan your China To Canada Freight Forwarder strategy, we're comparing rates, transit times, and service reliability across multiple carriers to find what actually works for your specific product category-not just what's cheapest on paper.

The Bottom Line

Canada's top 10 imports from China tell a clear story: Canadian businesses rely on Chinese manufacturing for everything from smartphones to sofas to surgical instruments. But in 2026, shipping those products isn't just about booking space on a vessel-it's about navigating port congestion, customs compliance, and a logistics landscape that changes by the week.

The smart move? Work with a China To Canada Freight Forwarder who understands your product category, your timeline, and your budget-and who has the relationships on both sides of the Pacific to make it happen.

Ready to move your cargo from China to Canada? Get in touch with XMAE Logistics for a no-obligation quote and expert advice on shipping your products-whatever's on your top 10 list.