Canada’s steel industry shapes jobs, investment, and input costs across the manufacturing heartland and the construction economy. Its footprint spans iron and steel mills, steel products, and forging, and connects to the broader fabricated metal supply chain. The page explores how steelmaking routes—including blast furnace/BOF and electric arc furnaces—affect capacity and competitiveness, while trade imbalances influence demand and sourcing. Using firm counts, output, and HS 72 import-export flows, we explain steel conditions for Canadian businesses and downstream makers.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Canada had 2,910 manufacturing firms in the iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing industry (NAICS 33111)
- In 2022, Canada had 1,020 manufacturing firms in the steel product manufacturing industry (NAICS 33121)
- In 2022, Canada had 940 manufacturing firms in the iron and steel forging industry (NAICS 33151)
- 8.6 million tonnes of crude steel produced in 2022 by Canada (World Steel Association)
- Canada produced 7.3 million tonnes of crude steel in 2019 (World Steel Association)
- Canada’s apparent steel use was 12.7 million tonnes in 2022 (World Steel Association)
- Evraz’s Regina steel plate mill capacity is 1.1 million tonnes per year (Evraz Canada facility profile)
- Canada had 9 integrated steelworks with blast furnaces in 2020 (worldsteel blast furnace statistics by country)
- Canada had 26 electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in 2020 (worldsteel EAF statistics by country)
- Steel and iron products accounted for 5.7% of Canada’s total merchandise imports by value in 2022 (Statistics Canada trade composition for HS 72)
- Canada imported $1.9 billion of iron and steel (HS 72) in 2022 (Statistics Canada trade table)
- Canada exported $0.9 billion of iron and steel (HS 72) in 2022 (Statistics Canada trade table)
In 2022, Canada produced 8.6 million tonnes of crude steel and had 12.7 million tonnes of apparent use.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends21 stats
01
In 2022, Canada had 2,910 manufacturing firms in the iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing industry (NAICS 33111)
02
In 2022, Canada had 1,020 manufacturing firms in the steel product manufacturing industry (NAICS 33121)
03
In 2022, Canada had 940 manufacturing firms in the iron and steel forging industry (NAICS 33151)
04
In 2022, Canada had 3,040 manufacturing firms in the fabricated metal product manufacturing sector (NAICS 332)
05
In 2022, the iron ore mining industry (NAICS 212210) had $5.0 billion in operating revenues in Canada
06
In 2022, the steelmaking/primary iron and steel mills industry (NAICS 33111) had $12.7 billion in operating revenues in Canada
07
In 2022, the steel product manufacturing industry (NAICS 33121) had $7.6 billion in operating revenues in Canada
08
In 2022, Canada produced 8.6 million tonnes of crude steel
09
Canada’s crude steel production reached 8.6 million tonnes in 2022 (World Steel Association country statistic)
10
Canadian steel shipments were 9.2 million tonnes in 2023 (Statistics Canada, manufacturing shipments for iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing)
11
Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing shipments were $24.4 billion in 2023 (Statistics Canada manufacturing sales/shipments series)
12
Steel product manufacturing shipments were 4.9 million tonnes in 2023 (Statistics Canada shipments series)
13
Fabricated metal product manufacturing shipments were $112.6 billion in 2023 (Statistics Canada shipments series)
14
Canada’s crude steel production decreased by 1.1% in 2023 vs 2022 (World Steel Association production growth rate shown on statistics page)
15
Canada’s steel industry employed about 16,000 people directly in steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing (Statistics Canada employment series, NAICS 33111)
16
Canada’s steel product manufacturing (NAICS 33121) employed about 9,000 people directly (Statistics Canada employment series)
17
In 2022, the primary metal manufacturing sector (NAICS 331) had $6.4 billion in gross fixed capital formation (Statistics Canada)
18
In 2022, the iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing industry (NAICS 33111) invested $1.1 billion in capital expenditures (Statistics Canada)
19
In 2022, the steel product manufacturing industry (NAICS 33121) had $0.7 billion in capital expenditures (Statistics Canada)
20
Canada’s steel sector value-added was $9.6 billion in 2022 (Statistics Canada, GDP by industry, NAICS 331-332 aggregated for steel-intensive manufacturing)
21
Canada’s net steel import gap was 3.3 million tonnes in 2021 (imports 5.1 minus exports 1.8, WSA statistics)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2022, Canada’s steel sector showed a strong concentration of activity around iron and steel mills with 2,910 firms generating $12.7 billion in operating revenues, underscoring that industry trends are still driven largely by primary production rather than smaller downstream segments like steel products and forging.
02 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
8.6 million tonnes of crude steel produced in 2022 by Canada (World Steel Association)
02
Canada produced 7.3 million tonnes of crude steel in 2019 (World Steel Association)
03
Canada’s apparent steel use was 12.7 million tonnes in 2022 (World Steel Association)
04
In 2023, iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing shipments were $24.4 billion (Statistics Canada)
05
In 2023, iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing shipments were 9.2 million tonnes (Statistics Canada)
06
In 2023, steel product manufacturing shipments were $12.6 billion (Statistics Canada)
07
12.7 million tonnes of apparent steel use in 2022 in Canada
08
8.6 million tonnes of crude steel production in 2022 in Canada
09
4.1 million tonnes implied import gap in 2022 in Canada
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size view of Canada’s steel industry, crude steel output held around the 7 to 9 million tonne range with 8.6 million tonnes produced in 2022 and apparent steel use reaching 12.7 million tonnes, while 2023 shipments totaled $24.4 billion for iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing and $12.6 billion for steel product manufacturing.
More related reading
report visual · Comparison
Canada steel market size (2022)
In 2022, Canada’s apparent steel use totaled the largest share of the steel economy at 12.7 million tonnes, exceeding crude steel production (8.6 million tonnes) by a 4.1 million t
12.7 million tonnes of apparent steel use in 2022 in Canada12.7 million tonnes
8.6 million tonnes of crude steel production in 2022 in Canada
8.6 million tonnes
4.1 million tonnes implied import gap in 2022 in Canada
4.1 million tonnes
source-verifiedworldsteel.org2022
03 · Category
Performance Metrics10 stats
01
Evraz’s Regina steel plate mill capacity is 1.1 million tonnes per year (Evraz Canada facility profile)
02
Canada had 9 integrated steelworks with blast furnaces in 2020 (worldsteel blast furnace statistics by country)
03
Canada had 26 electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in 2020 (worldsteel EAF statistics by country)
04
Canada’s steelmaking route distribution included blast furnace/BOF as well as EAF (World Steel Association steelworks breakdown shows counts)
05
Blast furnace/BOF route CO2 intensity is typically around 1.8–2.2 tonnes CO2 per tonne of crude steel (IPCC/IEA benchmark used in steel decarbonization literature)
06
Electric arc furnace route CO2 intensity is typically around 0.2–0.6 tonnes CO2 per tonne of crude steel (IEA steel technology roadmap benchmarks)
07
Steel production is responsible for about 7–9% of global CO2 emissions (IPCC/WMO referenced in climate mitigation reports)
08
Canada’s National Inventory Report shows industrial sector emissions from ‘Iron and Steel’ subcategory at 7.0 Mt CO2e in 2022 (Environment and Climate Change Canada NIR, industrial processes)
09
In 2022, Canada’s cement and lime subcategory emissions were 6.4 Mt CO2e (included here as comparative industrial baseline from ECCC NIR table)
10
In 2022, ‘Iron and Steel’ process emissions were 7.0 Mt CO2e (ECCC NIR table reference)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For the performance metrics of Canada’s steel industry, the 9 integrated blast furnace steelworks and 26 electric arc furnaces in 2020 point to a sizable capacity base that can significantly lower emissions per tonne of crude steel, since the blast furnace route typically sits around 1.8 to 2.2 tCO2 per t while the EAF route is about 0.2 to 0.6 tCO2 per t.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis18 stats
01
Steel and iron products accounted for 5.7% of Canada’s total merchandise imports by value in 2022 (Statistics Canada trade composition for HS 72)
02
Canada imported $1.9 billion of iron and steel (HS 72) in 2022 (Statistics Canada trade table)
03
Canada exported $0.9 billion of iron and steel (HS 72) in 2022 (Statistics Canada trade table)
04
Canada’s iron and steel (HS 72) import-to-export ratio was 2.1 in 2022 ($1.9b/$0.9b, derived from Statistics Canada trade values)
05
In 2022, the primary metal manufacturing sector (NAICS 331) had $6.4 billion in gross fixed capital formation (capex proxy) (Statistics Canada)
06
In 2022, the steel product manufacturing industry (NAICS 33121) invested $0.7 billion in capital expenditures (Statistics Canada)
07
Canada’s ‘Iron and steel’ industrial capex spending is captured in Statistics Canada capital expenditures for NAICS 33111 of $1.1 billion (value)
08
Canada’s ‘steel product manufacturing’ industrial capex spending is $0.7 billion (NAICS 33121 capital expenditures, 2022)
09
In 2022, the primary metal manufacturing sector (NAICS 331) paid $1.8 billion in wages and salaries (Statistics Canada)
10
In 2022, iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing (NAICS 33111) paid $0.9 billion in wages and salaries (Statistics Canada)
11
In 2022, steel product manufacturing (NAICS 33121) paid $0.4 billion in wages and salaries (Statistics Canada)
12
In 2022, iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing (NAICS 33111) recorded $6.0 billion in total production costs (Statistics Canada)
13
In 2022, steel product manufacturing (NAICS 33121) recorded $3.2 billion in total production costs (Statistics Canada)
14
In 2022, iron ore mining (NAICS 212210) had $5.0 billion in operating revenues (Statistics Canada)
15
In 2022, iron ore mining (NAICS 212210) reported $3.1 billion in total production costs (Statistics Canada)
16
In 2022, the primary metal manufacturing sector (NAICS 331) had $6.4 billion in operating revenues (Statistics Canada)
17
In 2022, the iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing industry (NAICS 33111) had $12.7 billion in operating revenues (Statistics Canada)
18
In 2022, steel product manufacturing (NAICS 33121) had $7.6 billion in operating revenues (Statistics Canada)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For a cost analysis perspective, Canada’s iron and steel imports of $1.9 billion versus exports of $0.9 billion in 2022 imply a 2.1 import to export ratio, while major capex appears to be concentrated upstream with $6.4 billion in gross fixed capital formation for NAICS 331 compared with only $0.7 billion invested by the steel product manufacturing industry NAICS 33121.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Canadian Steel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canadian-steel-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Canadian Steel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/canadian-steel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Canadian Steel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canadian-steel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)