Statistics Canada announced a delay in releasing the international trade data for September due to the ongoing government shutdown in the United States. The agency depends on information from the U.S. Census Bureau to monitor Canadian export levels, but has not received any data since the U.S. government shutdown began in early October.
Consequently, Statistics Canada disclosed that it will not be able to publish the Canadian export and import data for September as scheduled on November 4. The agency emphasized that until the government shutdown is resolved, monthly international trade results cannot be reported. If the disruption persists for an extended period, the statistics bureau may need to explore alternative solutions.
Notably, critical indicators like quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) by expenditure and international payments balance are interconnected with the monthly trade data. In case the shutdown prolongs and hampers the publication of third-quarter GDP data by the end of November, Statistics Canada plans to create special estimates for Canadian exports to the U.S. However, the agency cautioned that these forecasts would be subject to more significant revisions than usual.