Question Period Note: Oil Imports

Despite being among the top oil exporters in the world, Canada’s eastern refineries still rely on oil imports from the US and other countries to meet domestic demand.
According to a recent release by Statistics Canada, oil imports from non-US sources have been declining steadily over the past 10 years, with imports from the US accounting for 77% of the total imports in 2020.

• Canada has a market-based energy framework where the private sector makes decisions on oil imports and exports, taking into account cost, quality and availability, among other factors.
• Overall, Canada is a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products. However, Eastern Canadian refineries do rely on imports to meet their requirements.
o Refineries in Ontario and Quebec import almost exclusively from the US, which supports an integrated North American energy market.
o The Irving refinery in New Brunswick is situated on tidewater and has the flexibility to import from a variety of sources, including the US, Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Supplemental Messages:
• Our government is working to build a clean energy future and reach net-zero emissions by 2050 by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth, competitive industries and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
• While we work towards this transition, we understand
the importance of building pipeline capacity to gain
access to global markets.
That is why our government approved the Line 3 replacement project and the Trans Mountain Expansion project.
• Oil imports have steadily declined over the past 10 years, from 820 thousand barrels per day in 2010 to 555 thousand barrels per day in 2020.
o The majority of crude oil imports come from the US (over 77%), followed by Saudi Arabia (13%), Nigeria (4%), Norway (3%) and others.

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