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Trade

Bison Exports


Live Bison Exports

After the restrictions related to BSE were slowly removed, live bison exports to the US reached a high in 2008. Since 2008, there had been a decline in live bison exports due to the reduced size of the bison herd. Live bison exports began to increase in 2014 due to the strong U.S. dollar. Exports declined in 2016 because of limited availability of animals for.


Live Bison Exports to the United States

Year # Head
2002 2,306
2003 991
2004 -
2005 3,513
2006 13,255
2007 18,801
2008 25,844
2009 25,118
2010 20,673
2011 14,456
2012 14,007
2013 16,769
2014 19,033
2015 26,162
2016 18,364
2017 17,600
2018 17,701
2019 20,060
2020 24,774
2021 27,986
2022 30,595

*Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


Bison Meat Exports, fresh or chilled (bone-in) – Kilograms

Bison meat exports from Canada have declined in most years since 2009 with a rebound in exports is 2015 and 2016 due in great part to the strong US dollar. This decline meat product exports is due in part to live animals from Canada being exported to the US, harvested there and then exported to other markets. Switzerland appears to have been the most consistent market with other markets being quite variable.


Canadian Fresh Meat Exports

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

United States

396,514

536,310

289,288

172,332

163,942

222,630

409,204

613,635

France

347,193

145,859

90,176

100,853

106,582

102,700

72,625

50,704

Mexico

-

-

18,137

0

0

Germany

30,915

6,184

3,452

1,618

4,133

0

0

0

Switzerland

43,790

61,045

43,620

39,789

61,053

44,806

56,372

62,815

Other

16,897

31,402

28,603

83,856

5,631

11,087

1,459

Total

835,309

780,700

455,139

335,797

419,566

393,904

549,288

728,613


Bison Meat imported from the us



Weight in (KG)		 Fresh/Chilled Frozen
Cuts Bone In Cuts Boneless Total Cuts Bone In Cuts Boneless Total Total Imports
2001 338 7,514 7,852 7,671 29,255 36,927 44,779
2002 45 1,346 1,392 19,854 55,689 75,542 76,934
2003 201 201 8,384 134,415 142,799 143,000
2004 450 450 278 278 728
2005 570 570 570
2006 29,708 29,708 9,476 2,901 12,378 42,086
2007 3,002 38,432 41,434 11,362 32,760 44,122 85,556
2008 8,804 113,093 121,897 3,263 81,733 84,996 206,893
2009 19,382 215,565 234,948 18 10,032 10,049 244,997
2010 23,666 307,292 330,958 1,656 18,219 19,875 350,833
2011 12,362 204,484 216,846 1,794 38,949 40,743 257,589
2012 11,134 143,456 154,590 5,502 120,267 125,769 280,359
2013 16,732 114,101 130,420 21,940 21,939 152,359
2014 12,634 140,539 153,173 208 1,019 1,227 154,400
2015 25,867 72,980 98,846 1,323 1,323 100,169
2016 8,815 44,266 53,081 464 464 53,545