CANADIAN GRAIN EXPORTS BY OUTLET AND END MARKET, 1993
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 1993, major Canadian seaboard outlets recorded a decline in the amount of Canadian grain exported through their facilities as compared to 1992. This was due to 18% decline in the overall Canadian grain exports, as a result of the 82% decrease in grain exports to the Former Soviet Union (FSU) coupled with a 25% decline in grain exports to Asia.
Canadian grain exports through the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway (GL-SLS) in 1993 were 6.5 Mt, 28% below the 9.0 Mt in 1992. The share of the waterway of total Canadian grain exports also declined to 26.4% from 29.8% in 1992. Meanwhile, Canadian grain exports through the Canadian Pacific outlet were 16.4 Mt, 16.4% below the 19.7 Mt in 1992 but the share of this outlet of total Canadian grain increased to 67.2% from 65.5% for the in 1992. Exports through the Canadian Atlantic were 0.13 Mt, 351% above the 0.03 Mt in 1992 and its share of total Canadian grain exports increased to 0.5% from 0.1%. Meanwhile, grain exports through Churchill were 0.24 Mt, 3.2% below the 0.25 Mt in 1992 but its share of total Canadian grain exports increased to 1.0% from 0.8%.
CANADIAN GRAIN EXPORTS SITUATION
Canada's grain production in 1992-93 was 55.1 Mt, 8.8% lower than the 60.0 Mt of 1991-92. Similarly, grain exports declined to 27.0 Mt in the 1992-93 crop year from 33.2 Mt in 1991-92. Meanwhile, Canada's market share of world grain trade was 11.4% compared to 13.9% a year earlier.
Canadian grain exports1 in 1993 calendar year were 24.6 Mt, 18.3% below the 30.1 Mt in 1992 and 6.2% lower than the 26.3 Mt average of the last five years.
In 1993 Canadian grain exports to the Former Soviet Union (FSU) recorded the biggest decrease in percentage terms compared to other markets. The FSU market received almost 1.0 Mt of Canadian grain, 81.6% below the 5.3 Mt for the same period a year earlier and its share of total Canadian grain exports declined to 4.0% from 17.6%.
Meanwhile, Asia imported 10.8 Mt of Canadian grain, 24.8% lower than the 14.4 in 1992 and its share of total Canadian grain exports decreased to 44.1% from 47.9%. Latin America imported 4.4 Mt, accounting for 18.0% of total Canadian grain exports compared to 4.1 Mt and 13.5% share in 1992.
Meanwhile, grain exports to North Africa & Middle East, during the same period, rose by 48.1% to 3.4 Mt and the share of this market of total Canadian grain exports jumped to 13.8% from 7.6% in 1992. This market was followed by the U.S.A. (2.5 Mt / 10.0%), Western Europe (1.7 Mt / 6.8%), Other Africa (0.6 Mt / 2.6%) and Eastern Europe (0.2 Mt / 0.8%).
The situation of the Canadian grain exports in 1993 was reflected in the level and direction of grain flowing through alternative Canadian seaboard outlets as described in the chapters that follow .
THE GREAT LAKES - ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
Canadian grain exports through the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway (GL-SLS) in 1993 were 6.5 Mt, 27.6 below the 9.0 Mt in 1992 and 25.6% lower than the 8.8 Mt average for the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of the waterway of total Canadian grain exports declined to 26.4.% from 29.8% in 1992 and from the 33.3% average of the last five years .
In 1993, the GL-SLS had a majority share in five out of eight export markets for Canadian grain compared to three markets for the same period last year.
The FSU received 0.5 Mt of Canadian grain via this outlet in 1993, representing 7.8% of all Canadian grain exported through the GL-SLS, down from 3.5 Mt, representing 38.8% of total Canadian grain exported through this outlet in 1992.
Meanwhile, North Africa & the Middle East, which outranked the FSU for the first place received 1.5 Mt, representing 23.3% of the waterway's total Canadian grain exports compared to 0.5 Mt, accounting for 5.1% for the same period last year. Latin America followed with 1.1 Mt and 17.4% share, Western Europe (1.3 Mt / 20.2%, the U.S.A (1.2 Mt / 19%), Other Africa (0.5 Mt / 7.8%), Asia (0.15 Mt / 2.4%) and Eastern Europe (0.14 Mt / 2.2%).
THE CANADIAN ATLANTIC
Canadian grain exports through the Canadian Atlantic in 1993 were 0.13 Mt, 351% above the 0.03 Mt for the same period last year but 49.2% lower than the 0.25 Mt average for the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of this outlet of total Canadian grain exports increased to 0.5% from 0.1% in 1992 but was lower than the 0.9% average of the last five years.
Western Europe received 0.08 Mt of Canadian grain via this outlet 1993, representing 61.7% of all Canadian grain exported through the Atlantic outlet. Other Africa followed with 0.03 Mt and 23.3% share and Latin America received the remaining 0.02 Mt, accounting for 15.0% of all Canadian grain exported through this outlet .
CHURCHILL
Cumulative Canadian grain exports through Churchill in 1993 were 0.24 Mt, 3.2% below the 0.250 Mt in 1992 and 3.8% lower than the 0.255 Mt average for the last five years.
Meanwhile, the share of this outlet of total Canadian grain exports increased to 1.0% from 0.8% in 1992 and was similar to the average of the last five years. Latin America was the only market that received grain via this outlet in 1993. This market received 0.2 Mt of Canadian grain via Churchill.
THE CANADIAN PACIFIC
Canadian grain exports through the Canadian Pacific outlet in 1993 were 16.6 Mt, 16.1% below the 19.7 Mt for the same period in 1992 but higher than the 16.4 Mt average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of this outlet of total Canadian grain increased to 67.2% from 65.5% in 1992 and from the 62.6% average of the last five years.
Asia was by far the most important market for Canadian grain exported through the Western outlet. In 1993 the Asian market received 10.7 Mt, representing 65.8% of all Canadian grain exported through this outlet, down from 13.8 Mt and 70.1% share in 1992. This amount also represented 98.8% of all Canadian grain exported to Asia in 1993.
The Latin American market was far second, receiving 3.0 Mt, representing 18.3% of all Canadian grain exported through the Pacific. North Africa & the Middle East followed with 1.9 Mt and 11.4% share, the FSU (0.5 Mt / 2.9%) down from (1.7 Mt / 8.7% 1992, Western Europe (0.3 Mt / 1.7%), Other Africa (0.1 Mt / 0.6%), Eastern Europe ( 0.05 Mt / 0.3%) and the U.S.A. (0.01 Mt / 0.1%).
CANADIAN GRAIN EXPORTS BY PORT
In 1993, the port of Thunder Bay handled a total of about 6.5 Mt, accounting for 26.4% of all Canadian grain exports. Of this amount, about 4.6 Mt were transshipped at Lower St. Lawrence ports and 1.9 Mt were exported directly overseas.
During the same period, the port of Vancouver handled 11.6 Mt of grain, representing 47.2% of all Canadian grain exports. Meanwhile, the port of Prince Rupert handled 4.9 Mt representing 20.0% of all the Canadian grain exports in 1993.