Canada CAD

Canada Current Account

Info

History

Chart

Impact:

Medium

Source: Statistics Canada

Latest Release:

Date:

Big Surprise:

C$6.8B

CAD

Actual:

C$-9.7B

Forecast: C$-16.5B

Previous/Revision:

C$-21.6B

Period: Q3

Next Release:

Date:

Period: Q4

What Does It Measure?

The Canada Current Account measures the country's balance of trade in goods and services, net income from abroad, and current transfers. This indicator provides insights into the economic status of Canada by assessing its international financial transactions—specifically, if it is a net lender or borrower in the global economy.

Frequency

The report is released quarterly and typically includes both preliminary data and final figures, with the preliminary estimates becoming available about 70 days after the quarter ends.

Why Do Traders Care?

Traders pay close attention to the Current Account as it affects the Canadian dollar (CAD) and overall economic sentiment; a surplus may strengthen the CAD and boost domestic equities, whereas a deficit could lead to currency depreciation and bearish impacts on stocks. The timeliness of the report makes it a crucial tool for forecasting economic health and guiding investment decisions.

What Is It Derived From?

The Current Account balance is derived from a comprehensive analysis of international transactions, including surveys of exporters and importers, as well as financial institutions. Data collection methods utilize established methodologies for recording trade flows, income payments, and current transfers, ensuring that the results reflect the economic reality accurately.

Description

Preliminary reports present early estimates of the Current Account and can be subject to revisions, while final reports yield a more precise account of economic transactions but are released later, potentially affecting market sentiment upon release. This measure typically employs a Year-over-Year (YoY) reporting method, allowing for an assessment of long-term trends and removing seasonal effects.

Additional Notes

The Current Account is a coincident indicator of economic performance, as it aligns closely with GDP changes, reflecting the immediate financial health of a nation. Furthermore, this indicator is often compared with similar reports from other countries to evaluate Canada’s position in the global economic landscape.

Bullish or Bearish for Currency and Stocks

Higher than expected: Bullish for CAD, Bullish for Stocks. Lower than expected: Bearish for CAD, Bearish for Stocks.

Legend

High Potential Impact
This event has a strong potential to move markets significantly. If the 'Actual' value differs enough from the forecast or if the 'Previous' value is significantly revised, it signals new information that markets may rapidly adjust to.

Medium Potential Impact
This event may cause moderate market movement, especially if the 'Actual' deviates from the forecast or there's a notable revision to the 'Previous' value.

Low Potential Impact
This event is unlikely to affect market pricing unless there's an unexpected surprise or a major revision to prior data.

Surprise - Currency May Strengthen
Actual deviated from Forecast on a medium or high impact event and historically could strengthen the currency.

Surprise - Currency May Weaken
Actual deviated from Forcast on a medium or high impact event and historically could weaken the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Strengthen
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely strengthen the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Weaken
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely weaken the currency

Green Number	Better than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Red Number	Worse than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Hawkish	Supports higher interest rates to fight inflation, strengthening the currency but weighing on stocks.
Dovish	Favors lower rates to boost growth, weakening the currency but lifting stocks.

Date	Actual	Forecast	Previous	Surprise
Nov 27, 2025	C$-9.7B	C$-16.5B	C$-21.6B	C$6.8B
Aug 28, 2025	C$-21.2B	C$-19.4B	C$-1.3B	C$-1.8B
May 29, 2025	C$-2.1B	C$-3.25B	C$-3.6B	C$1.15B
Feb 27, 2025	C$-5B	C$-3.2B	C$-3.6B	C$-1.8B
Nov 28, 2024	C$-3.2B	C$-9.3B	C$-4.7B	C$6.1B
Aug 29, 2024	C$-8.5B	C$-5.9B	C$-5.4B	C$-2.6B
May 30, 2024	C$-5.4B	C$-5.5B	C$-4.5B	C$0.1B
Feb 28, 2024	C$-1.62B	C$-1.25B	C$-4.74B	C$-0.37B
Nov 29, 2023	C$-3.22B	C$1B	C$-7.32B	C$-4.22B
Aug 31, 2023	C$-6.63B	C$-11.2B	C$-3.17B	C$4.57B
May 30, 2023	C$-6.17B	C$-8.85B	C$-8.05B	C$2.68B
Feb 27, 2023	C$-10.64B	C$-10.9B	C$-8.41B	C$0.26B
Nov 28, 2022	C$-11.1B	C$2.1B	C$2.65B	C$-13.2B
Aug 30, 2022	C$2.69B	C$6.6B	C$2.65B	C$-3.91B
May 30, 2022	C$5.03B	C$3.2B	C$-0.14B	C$1.83B
Feb 28, 2022	C$-0.8B	C$2.3B	C$0.81B	C$-3.1B
Nov 29, 2021	C$1.37B	C$4.8B	C$1.37B	C$-3.43B
Aug 30, 2021	C$3.58B	C$1.85B	C$1.82B	C$1.73B
May 31, 2021	C$1.18B	C$3.4B	C$-5.27B	C$-2.22B
Mar 01, 2021	C$-7.26B	C$-8.3B	C$-10.49B	C$1.04B
Nov 30, 2020	C$-7.5B	C$-9.1B	C$-7B	C$1.6B
Aug 27, 2020	C$-8.6B	C$-12.2B	C$-13.2B	C$3.6B
May 28, 2020	C$-11.1B	C$-10B	C$-9.3B	C$-1.1B
Feb 27, 2020	C$-8.76B	C$-9B	C$-10.86B	C$0.24B
Nov 28, 2019	C$-9.86B	C$-9B	C$-6.74B	C$-0.86B
Aug 29, 2019	C$-6.38B	C$-9.8B	C$-16.63B	C$3.42B
May 30, 2019	C$-17.35B	C$-18B	C$-16.62B	C$0.65B
Feb 28, 2019	C$-15.5B	C$-13.5B	C$-10.1B	C$-2B
Nov 29, 2018	C$-10.3B	C$-11.5B	C$-16.7B	C$1.2B
Aug 29, 2018	C$-15.88B	C$-15.2B	C$-19.5B	C$-0.68B
May 30, 2018	C$-19.5B	C$-18B	C$-16.5B	C$-1.5B
Mar 01, 2018	C$-16.4B	C$-17.8B	C$-18.6B	C$1.4B
Nov 30, 2017	C$-19.4B	C$-19.5B	C$-15.6B	C$0.1B
Aug 30, 2017	C$-16.3B	C$-17.4B	C$-12.9B	C$1.1B
May 30, 2017	C$-14.1B	C$-12B	C$-11.8B	C$-2.1B
Mar 01, 2017	C$-10.7B	C$-9.8B	C$-19.8B	C$-0.9B
Nov 29, 2016	C$-18.3B	C$-16.8B	C$-19B	C$-1.5B
Aug 30, 2016	C$-19.9B	C$-20.5B	C$-16.6B	C$0.6B
May 30, 2016	C$-16.8B	C$-16.8B	C$-15.7B
Feb 29, 2016	C$-15.38B	C$-15.6B	C$-15.3B	C$0.22B
Nov 30, 2015	C$-16.2B	C$-15.15B	C$-16.6B	C$-1.05B
Aug 31, 2015	C$-17.4B	C$-16.9B	C$-18.2B	C$-0.5B
May 28, 2015	C$-17.5B	C$-6.4B	C$-13.1B	C$-11.1B