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Overview
The Canadian maple syrup industry accounts for approximately 75% of the world’s maple syrup production, with 92% of the Canadian production originating from Quebec, 4% from New Brunswick, 3% from Ontario, and 1% from Nova Scotia. The United States is the world’s second-largest producer, accounting for approximately 24% of global production, with 51% of United States production originating from Vermont, 18% from New York, and 13% from Maine.
Due to favourable weather conditions, Canadian maple producers harvested 14.3 million gallons of maple syrup in 2020, surpassing the 2019 record of 13.2 million gallons produced by 8.3%. The increased production resulted in total sales of $558.5 million in 2020, up 7.9% from a year earlier. Maple products accounted for 6.4% of all Canadian horticulture farm cash receiptsFootnote 1 in 2020.
Despite the increased production and sales in 2020, the COVID-19 shutdowns impacted the short maple syrup season across Canada in 2020. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, where measures such as physical distancing were implemented just as the maple syrup season was commencing, in-person visits to farms, sugar shacks and other activities that normally draw large crowds were not possible. In response to this reduction in ecotourism, some producers shifted focus towards online sales.
Canada is the world’s largest exporter of maple products in terms of value and volume, with exports valued at $515 million in 2020, up 19.8% from 2019. In terms of value, Quebec accounted for 96.4% of Canadian maple product exports in 2020. Canadian maple products were exported to 68 different countries around the world in 2020; 59.1% of the exports were destined to the United States, 9.8% to Germany, 6.0% to the United Kingdom, 5.2% to Australia, and 4.8% to Japan, and 4.4% to France, with the other export destinations accounting for the remaining 10.8% of total exports.
1. ProductionFootnote 2
As maple trees grow, they accumulate starch, which converts into sugar during the spring thaw and mixes with the water absorbed through tree roots to create maple sap, which generally flows between February and April each year. Producers use tubing systems, reverse osmosis and high-performance evaporators to collect sap and boil it down to create maple syrup. On average, it takes approximately 40 litres of sap to make one litre of maple syrup. Canadian maple syrup products range from traditional maple syrup to maple sugar, maple butter, maple candy as well as a full range of products containing maple syrup.
The safety and quality of Canadian maple syrup is monitored by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which ensures producers meet high federal standards. The CFIA is also responsible for the federal classification of Canadian maple syrup grades and colour descriptors, ensuring they align with standard international grading systems. There are two grade names for Canadian maple syrup: “Canada Grade A” (which is further graded into four colour classes - “Golden, Delicate Taste”, “Amber, Rich Taste”, “Dark, Robust Taste” and “Very Dark, Strong Taste” – that typically reach consumer and commercial markets) and “Canada Processing Grade”, which does not have colour classes and is often used in large-scale commercial applications.
Quebec producers, who account for 92% of Canadian production, harvested 13.2 million gallons in 2020, up 9.8% from 2019. Higher yields, due to favourable spring weather and more taps, accounted for the higher production. While prices in other maple-producing provinces are determined by producers and as a result, can vary substantially, prices in Quebec are controlled by the Régie des marchés agricoles et agroalimentaires du Québec, which helps stabilize the price from year to year. The price in Quebec for 2020 remained at $38.55 per gallon and the total value of maple products was $509.2 million.
Producers in New Brunswick - the second largest producer of maple products - accounted for $20.6 million worth of maple syrup, down by 11.1% from a year earlier, in part due to lower production (following a strong performance in 2019) and lower prices for bulk syrup. Production was down by 6.2% and producers received $2.05 less per gallon in 2020 compared with a year earlier, for an average of $36.78 per gallon.
In 2020, production and overall value decreases were also noted in Ontario and Nova Scotia compared to strong 2019 production levels. In Ontario, production fell by 7.0% to 467,000 gallons in 2020, with a 2.9% decrease in value to $25.8 million, while the value per gallon increased to $55.16. In Nova Scotia, production decreased by 20.0% to 56,000 gallons, with a drop in value to $2.9 million (-25.9%), with the value per gallon also falling by 7.4% to $50.89.
1.1. Maple syrup production[1] by province (thousands of gallons[2])
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | 48 | 43 | 55 | 70 | 56 | 0.4% |
New Brunswick | 528 | 551 | 361 | 598 | 561 | 3.9% |
Quebec | 11,185 | 11,493 | 8,914 | 12,033 | 13,210 | 92.4% |
Ontario | 398 | 425 | 465 | 502 | 467 | 3.3% |
Canada | 12,160 | 12,512 | 9,796 | 13,204 | 14,294 | 100.0% |
Notes: [1]. Maple products such as taffy, sugar and maple butter have been converted to syrup equivalent. [2]. Conversion factors: 1 gallon of syrup equals 10.0 pounds of maple sugar. One gallon of syrup weighs 13.24760 pounds. One gallon of syrup equals 10.4 pounds of taffy. The conversion of maple taffy to syrup varies with the density of syrup that year. |
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Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0354-01 Production and value of maple products (x 1,000) |
1.2. Production of maple products – 15-year trend

Production of maple products – 15-year trend
Year | Millions of gallons |
---|---|
2006 | 5.93 |
2007 | 5.38 |
2008 | 5.13 |
2009 | 9.08 |
2010 | 7.27 |
2011 | 8.55 |
2012 | 7.86 |
2013 | 10.05 |
2014 | 9.48 |
2015 | 8.91 |
2016 | 12.16 |
2017 | 12.51 |
2018 | 9.80 |
2019 | 13.20 |
2020 | 14.29 |
1.3. Number of maple farms[1] by province[2])
2011 | 2016 | |
---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 | 0 |
Prince Edward Island | 2 | 1 |
Nova Scotia | 36 | 48 |
New Brunswick | 108 | 111 |
Quebec | 4,674 | 4,776 |
Ontario | 416 | 391 |
Manitoba | 6 | 6 |
Saskatchewan | 0 | 2 |
Alberta | 0 | 0 |
British Columbia | 5 | 5 |
Canada | 5,248 | 5,340 |
[1]. The last Census of Agriculture was conducted in 2016. The next Census of Agriculture will occur in May 2021. [2]. Number of farms includes all farms reported maple taps and on which maple syrup production represents 50% or more of total farm cash receipts. |
||
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0166-01 Farms classified by farm type |
1.4. Number of maple taps[1] by province
2011 | 2016 | |
---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | x | 0 |
Prince Edward Island | 9,693 | 9,760 |
Nova Scotia | 372,452 | 446,300 |
New Brunswick | 1,896,773 | 2,285,785 |
Quebec | 40,632,512 | 42,529,033 |
Ontario | 1,508,651 | 1,713,022 |
Manitoba | 8,251 | 5,961 |
Saskatchewan | 5,917 | 1,490 |
Alberta | x | 0 |
British Columbia | 3,609 | 4,009 |
Canada | 44,440,024 | 46,995,360 |
Notes: [1]. The last Census of Agriculture was conducted in 2016. The next Census of Agriculture will occur in May 2021. |
||
X: Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of theStatistics Act. | ||
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0423-01 Maple taps |
1.5. Gross value[1] of maple products by province (thousands of Canadian dollars)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | 3,200 | 2,473 | 3,069 | 3,847 | 2,850 | 0.5% |
New Brunswick | 22,023 | 22,003 | 13,715 | 23,217 | 20,630 | 3.7% |
Quebec | 435,600 | 444,570 | 344,834 | 463,889 | 509,250 | 91.2% |
Ontario | 23,286 | 24,947 | 23,913 | 26,535 | 25,759 | 4.6% |
Canada | 484,109 | 493,992 | 385,531 | 517,489 | 558,489 | 100.0% |
Note: [1]. The gross value of maple products includes maple sugar, maple syrup, maple taffy and maple butter. |
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Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0354-01 Production and value of maple products (x 1,000) |
2. Trade
Canada is the world’s largest exporter of maple products, with exports valued at $515 million in 2020, up 19.8% from 2019. This was a marked year-on-year increase in export growth as compared to 2019, when exports experienced a 6.0% increase compared to 2018.
In terms of value, Quebec accounted for 96.4% of Canadian maple product exports in 2020. Export values from Quebec grew by 19% compared to 2019, while New Brunswick and Ontario also experienced strong increases in maple product export values. In 2020, New Brunswick, which accounted for 2.7% of total Canadian exports by value (for a total of $13.8 million, up 27.6% over 2019). While Ontario only accounted for 0.8% of Canada’s overall maple product exports in 2020 ($4.2 million), the province experienced a very significant increase of +335.9% in export values compared to 2019. This sharp increase was the result of exports to new markets other than the United States, which had been the exclusive export destination for Ontario maple products prior to 2020. These new markets included Ireland, Japan and Denmark.
Canadian maple products were exported to 68 different countries around the world in 2020; 59.1% of the exports by value were destined to the United States, 9.8% to Germany, 6.0% to the United Kingdom, 5.2% to Australia, 4.8% to Japan, and 4.4% to France, with the other export destinations accounting for the remaining 10.8% of total exports.
Over the last five years, export volumes to each of these same six countries have shown strong growth, for the most part. In comparing 2016 to 2020, export volumes grew by 86.6% to France, 55.0% to Australia, 47.3% to the United Kingdom, 32.6% to the United States, 20.9% to Germany, and 1.7% to Japan.
2.1. Exports
2.1.1. Maple products[1] exports by province – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
Prince Edward Island | 0 | 23 | 211 | 3 | 7 | 0.0% |
Nova Scotia | 558 | 520 | 129 | 210 | 196 | 0.0% |
New Brunswick | 17,168 | 10,808 | 9,660 | 10,811 | 13,794 | 2.7% |
Quebec | 362,324 | 369,001 | 394,812 | 417,486 | 496,725 | 96.4% |
Ontario | 773 | 171 | 356 | 963 | 4,198 | 0.8% |
Manitoba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Saskatchewan | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Alberta | 194 | 118 | 1 | 74 | 0 | 0.0% |
British Columbia | 390 | 702 | 419 | 393 | 355 | 0.1% |
Canada | 381,407 | 381,342 | 405,638 | 429,944 | 515,276 | 100.0% |
Note: [1]. Maple Products include both maple sugar and maple syrup. |
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Source: Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, April 2021) |
2.1.2. Maple products[1] exports by province – by value (kilograms)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | 55 | 22 | 44 | 501 | 0 | 0.0% |
Prince Edward Island | 0 | 2,111 | 27,387 | 254 | 808 | 0.0% |
Nova Scotia | 62,237 | 49,940 | 14,436 | 19,297 | 31,119 | 0.1% |
New Brunswick | 1,940,942 | 1,304,800 | 1,168,890 | 1,339,734 | 1,574,507 | 2.6% |
Quebec | 42,917,697 | 44,427,902 | 47,076,873 | 49,178,196 | 58,993,618 | 96.2% |
Ontario | 110,150 | 23,329 | 52,487 | 135,161 | 676,457 | 1.1% |
Manitoba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Saskatchewan | 0 | 0 | 4,610 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Alberta | 24,001 | 20,471 | 89 | 12,708 | 7 | 0.0% |
British Columbia | 37,136 | 70,997 | 36,581 | 34,319 | 32,508 | 0.1% |
Canada | 45,092,218 | 45,899,572 | 48,381,397 | 50,720,170 | 61,309,024 | 100.0% |
Note: [1]. Maple Products include both maple sugar and maple syrup. |
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Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, April 2021) |
2.1.3. Top 10 maple products export destinations – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 236,279 | 236,104 | 250,472 | 266,559 | 304,347 | 59.1% |
Germany | 40,043 | 40,721 | 44,872 | 42,121 | 50,381 | 9.8% |
United Kingdom | 16,584 | 17,733 | 18,567 | 21,698 | 30,753 | 6.0% |
Australia | 15,650 | 17,627 | 17,500 | 18,832 | 26,814 | 5.2% |
Japan | 25,756 | 22,945 | 22,233 | 23,441 | 24,788 | 4.8% |
France | 13,049 | 12,743 | 13,436 | 16,705 | 22,438 | 4.4% |
Denmark | 6,137 | 5,127 | 6,327 | 7,510 | 8,710 | 1.7% |
South Korea | 4,152 | 3,903 | 5,303 | 4,720 | 7,746 | 1.5% |
Netherlands | 3,647 | 3,659 | 4,325 | 4,032 | 5,221 | 1.0% |
Italy | 2,464 | 2,355 | 2,634 | 2,893 | 3,742 | 0.7% |
Others | 17,646 | 18,424 | 19,969 | 21,432 | 30,336 | 5.9% |
Total | 381,407 | 381,342 | 405,638 | 429,944 | 515,276 | 100.0% |
Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, April 2021) |
2.1.4. Top 10 maple products export destinations – by volume (kilograms)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 27,886,052 | 28,588,821 | 30,217,674 | 32,121,874 | 36,971,390 | 60.3% |
Germany | 4,540,965 | 4,622,930 | 5,003,007 | 4,867,966 | 5,489,090 | 9.0% |
United Kingdom | 2,442,606 | 2,430,610 | 2,422,084 | 2,467,531 | 3,597,468 | 5.9% |
Australia | 1,958,243 | 2,179,867 | 2,130,864 | 2,114,086 | 3,036,087 | 5.0% |
France | 1,594,766 | 1,579,595 | 1,654,308 | 2,103,193 | 2,975,166 | 4.9% |
Japan | 2,679,569 | 2,489,628 | 2,410,106 | 2,506,567 | 2,724,174 | 4.4% |
Denmark | 868,629 | 730,988 | 908,839 | 994,561 | 1,248,573 | 2.0% |
South Korea | 471,750 | 484,602 | 670,121 | 528,207 | 829,675 | 1.4% |
Netherlands | 390,935 | 388,048 | 482,083 | 433,496 | 564,763 | 0.9% |
Sweden | 18,469 | 20,262 | 5,156 | 60,398 | 511,981 | 0.8% |
Others | 2,240,234 | 2,384,221 | 2,477,155 | 2,522,291 | 3,360,657 | 5.5% |
Total | 45,092,218 | 45,899,572 | 48,381,397 | 50,720,170 | 61,309,024 | 100.0% |
Source: Statistics Canada (CATSNet, April 2021) |
3. Availability for consumption
3.1. Maple products available[1] for consumption (kilograms per person)[2]
While consumption of sweet condiments has generally declined due to health-related concerns, maple syrup is an exception. Maple sugar available for consumption more than doubled from the previous year to 0.89 kilograms in 2020, because of a record high production (+8.3%). Similar to maple sugar availabiltity increase, refined sugar availability rose 1.4% from 2019 to 30.5 kilograms, as a result of higher production (+4.7%) and imports (+5.1%). Both increases may have been related to panic buying at the onset of the pandemic.
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maple Sugar | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.89 |
Note: [1]. Food available per person is calculated by dividing the domestic disappearance by the Canadian population as of July 1st of the reference year, at the retail level. Domestic disappearance represents the total food available for human consumption from the Canadian food supply chain. Total Supply = Beginning stocks + Production + Imports Domestic Disappearance = Total supply – Exports – Manufacturing - Waste - Ending stocks [2]. Does not adjust for losses, such as waste and/or spoilage in stores, households, private institutions or restaurants, or losses during preparation. |
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Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0054-01 Food available in Canada |
4. World data
4.1. World imports
Globally, the United States is the largest importer of maple syrup and sugar products measured by both value and volume, while Canada ranks as the 8th largest importer of maple syrup and sugar products in terms of value and the 5th in terms of volume. Canada’s imports originate almost exclusively from the United States. In 2020, the United States’ imports of maple syrup and sugar products accounted for 49% of total global imports in terms of value. Other main global importing countries included Germany (7%), United Kingdom (6%), Japan (5%), Australia (4%), France (4%), Netherlands (3%) and Canada (2%).
4.1.1. Top 10 importers of maple sugar and maple syrup – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 236,408 | 236,165 | 250,548 | 266,617 | 304,501 | 48.5% |
Germany | 29,688 | 30,120 | 36,683 | 37,605 | 43,993 | 7.0% |
United Kingdom | 25,500 | 25,610 | 25,264 | 31,417 | 37,347 | 6.0% |
Japan | 29,962 | 29,449 | 27,428 | 28,783 | 28,825 | 4.6% |
Australia | 17,533 | 20,866 | 19,985 | 22,021 | 27,291 | 4.3% |
France | 13,784 | 16,121 | 16,349 | 23,512 | 26,607 | 4.2% |
Netherlands | 16,918 | 17,077 | 19,659 | 11,574 | 21,939 | 3.5% |
Canada[1] | 21,980 | 17,078 | 14,780 | 14,710 | 15,495 | 2.5% |
Denmark | 6,810 | 7,150 | 8,522 | 8,470 | 10,406 | 1.7% |
Italy | 6,747 | 4,648 | 5,772 | 8,274 | 10,295 | 1.6% |
Others | 61,329 | 65,289 | 69,166 | 72,711 | 100,716 | 16.1% |
Total | 466,658 | 469,572 | 494,157 | 525,693 | 627,415 | 100.0% |
Notes: [1]. 100% of Canadian imports of maple products are sourced from the United States. |
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Source: Global Trade Tracker (April 2021) |
4.1.2. Top 10 importers of maple sugar and maple syrup – by volume (metric tons)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 27,947 | 28,593 | 30,230 | 32,126 | 36,990 | 48.6% |
United Kingdom | 3,718 | 4,161 | 4,498 | 4,943 | 4,741 | 6.2% |
Germany | 3,154 | 3,151 | 3,732 | 4,052 | 4,534 | 6.0% |
Australia | 2,280 | 2,742 | 2,509 | 2,493 | 2,826 | 3.7% |
Canada[1] | 3,532 | 2,957 | 2,506 | 2,594 | 2,624 | 3.5% |
France | 1,566 | 1,891 | 1,776 | 2,563 | 2,608 | 3.4% |
Japan | 2,649 | 2,658 | 2,469 | 2,588 | 2,577 | 3.4% |
Netherlands | 2,309 | 2,291 | 2,107 | 1,155 | 2,286 | 3.0% |
Italy | 3,462 | 612 | 531 | 744 | 1,654 | 2.2% |
Puerto Rico | 315 | 258 | 249 | 290 | 1,594 | 2.1% |
Others | 9,382 | 10,032 | 9,675 | 14,449 | 13,602 | 17.9% |
Total | 60,314 | 59,346 | 60,281 | 67,996 | 76,035 | 100.0% |
Notes: [1]. 100% of Canadian imports of maple products are sourced from the United States. |
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Source: Global Trade Tracker (April 2021) |
4.2. A Comparison: United States national statistics for maple syrup
The United States produced a total of 4.4 million gallons of maple syrup in 2020, up 5% from the previous year, with an estimated production value of US$ 129 million, making it the second largest producer in the world behind Canada. Maple syrup production in the United States occurs mainly in the Northeast and the northern Midwest. Vermont is the country’s top maple syrup-producing state and accounts for over half of the nation’s production (or 51% of total production), followed by New York with 18%, Maine with 13% and Wisconsin with 6%.
4.2.1. United States maple syrup production by state (thousands of gallons)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vermont | 1,900 | 2,000 | 1,940 | 2,070 | 2,220 |
New York | 707 | 760 | 806 | 820 | 804 |
Maine | 675 | 715 | 539 | 520 | 590 |
Wisconsin | 235 | 207 | 225 | 270 | 265 |
Michigan | 124 | 150 | 165 | 195 | 170 |
Pennsylvania | 163 | 165 | 142 | 157 | 169 |
New Hampshire | 176 | 160 | 163 | 148 | 154 |
Others | 204 | 228 | 219 | 0 | 0 |
United States | 4,184 | 4,385 | 4,199 | 4,180 | 4,372 |
Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service - http://www.nass.usda.gov/ |
4.2.2. United States maple syrup production value by state (thousands of US dollars)
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vermont | 46,530 | 57,000 | 54,000 | 54,320 | 57,960 |
New York | 25,242 | 31,320 | 29,640 | 26,114 | 26,404 |
Maine | 15,484 | 20,250 | 24,096 | 21,668 | 14,664 |
New Hampshire | 9,148 | 9,715 | 6,960 | 9,144 | 6,704 |
Wisconsin | 7,117 | 7,873 | 6,500 | 7,290 | 8,775 |
Michigan | 7,358 | 5,555 | 7,680 | 6,419 | 9,477 |
Pennsylvania | 5,933 | 5,118 | 5,660 | 5,538 | 5,495 |
Others | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
United States | 126,820 | 147,240 | 145,346 | 141,825 | 129,479 |
Note: | |||||
2020 maple syrup production value data was not available at the time of writing. | |||||
Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service - http://www.nass.usda.gov/ |
5. Key resources
Global Trade Tracker
Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0166-01 Farms classified by farm type
Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0423-01 Maple taps
Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0354-01 Production and value of maple products
Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0054-01 Food available in Canada
Statistics Canada. CATSNET
USDA. National Agricultural Statistics Service
Import and export data is based on the following Harmonized System Codes (H.S. Codes):
Maple for import: 1702200010, 1702200020
Maple for export: 17022010, 17022020, 17022021, 17022029
Footnotes
- Footnote 1
-
Farm cash receipts measure gross revenue of farm businesses. They represent the cash income received from the sale of agricultural commodities.
- Footnote 2
-
Maple products production data for 2021 will be released by Statistics Canada in December 2021.