OTTAWA — Statistics Canada announced it will postpone the release of international trade data due to the ongoing government shutdown in the United States. The agency relies on information from the U.S. Census Bureau to monitor Canadian export volumes. However, it has not received any data since the U.S. government shut down at the beginning of October over a funding dispute in Congress.

As a result, Statistics Canada will not publish the Canadian export and import data for September as scheduled on November 4. The agency stated that it cannot report monthly international trade results until the U.S. government reopens. If the shutdown continues for an extended period, Statistics Canada may need to explore alternative options.

The monthly trade figures are crucial for other important economic indicators, including quarterly gross domestic product by expenditure and the balance of international payments. In the event that the shutdown is not resolved in time for the publication of third-quarter GDP data at the end of November, Statistics Canada plans to create special estimates of Canadian exports to the United States. However, the agency cautioned that these estimates would likely undergo larger revisions than usual due to the uncertainty surrounding the data collection process.