The broad economic categories (BEC) classification provides data users with a new perspective on Canada's imports and exports. A key feature of the BECclassification is an end-use aggregating structure that is consistent with the three basic classes of goods in the System of National Accounts (SNA), namely capital goods, intermediate goods and consumption goods. This aggregating structure allows the analysis of external trade statistics with other economic data (such as industry statistics) and national economic account aggregates (such as gross domestic product). Imports and exports classified by broad economic categories provide insight into their role as inputs into production, as a source of capital and as a source of goods for final consumption.
Annual data for Canadian international merchandise trade by BEC are now available in CANSIM table 228-0081 for the period from 2000 to 2016.
This has been excerpted from an 11 December 2017 release by Statistics Canada.