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Canada Gun Imports 2021 Jump to Second-Highest Value on Record

Chart of Canada's Annual Gun Imports

TheGunBlog.ca — Canadian gun imports jumped to their second-highest level on record in 2021, driven by demand for Italian shotguns, Finnish rifles and Czech handguns.

Details

  • The value of inbound shipments rose by 29% last year from 2020 to $188.5 million, according to data published today by Statistics Canada.
  • That’s just behind the 2014 annual record of $193.5 million.
  • Last year’s gain was the first increase after three annual declines.

Why It Matters

  • Almost every gun in Canada is imported.
  • Import stats are one of the only publicly available economic indicators of the firearm industry.
  • Imports reveal long-term trends, not the current market. Rising imports suggest an improving business outlook. Declines suggest a weakening business outlook.

Main Drivers of 2021 Gun Imports

The StatCan import data doesn’t mention manufacturers or brands.

  • Shotguns From Italy: Almost doubled to $15 million.
    • Possible Brands: Benelli, Beretta, Franchi
  • Rifles From Finland: +62% to $12.5 million.
    • Possible Brands: Sako, Tikka
  • Handguns From Czech Republic: More than tripled to $5 million.
    • Possible Brands: CZ (Česká zbrojovka)

Top 5 Countries of Origin (% of Total, 2021)

  1. U.S.A. (41.8%)
  2. Italy (11.9%)
  3. Turkey (9.2%)
  4. Finland (6.6%)
  5. Japan (5.6)

Fun Factoids

  • Canada imported 415,941 firearms last year, an average of 1,140 per day, seven days a week. (+17% vs. 354,164 in 2020). Almost all of them will end up in the home of their happy new owners.
  • The combined import value of guns, ammunition, parts and accessories climbed 22% in 2021 to $382.6 million. Assuming retail markup of 25% and taxes of 10%, that would represent an average of $1.4 million invested in those goods every day, seven days a week.
  • Canada’s firearm market is highly punitive, and highly popular.
    • Punitive: You risk jail if you buy, sell, or have any gun without a federal firearm licence, and also obey many other arbitrary restrictions and requirements.
    • Popular: About 2.2 million adults and 4,500 businesses have a licence.

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Interactive Charts

Following are the same charts published on our page of Canada Gun Facts and Stats.