Prince Edward Island exports reached a new monthly record in June, says Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Heath MacDonald.
“Our provincial export sales totaled $128 million for the month of June,” said Minister MacDonald. “This record-breaking growth is an encouraging sign for our province. We have been working with the private sector to place an emphasis on the development of our export markets and this statistic tells us our efforts are making a difference.”
Prince Edward Island’s second highest month for exports was October 2014 at $112.8 million. Last year marked the first time that P.E.I.’s exports surpassed $1 billion. The province is currently on track to exceed the 2014 record-breaking year.
For the first half of 2015, Prince Edward Island’s export sales grew by 11.8 per cent, the highest among the provinces. In contrast, national exports are down by 2.6 per cent this year over last.
Farm products and seafood constitute the largest category of the province’s exports followed by advanced manufacturing in the areas of aerospace and electronics. Exports of bioscience products including chemicals and pharmaceuticals are also significant.
“As committed to in our government’s recent Speech from the Throne, we will continue to work to increase both our total exports and reduce the gap in our balance of trade,” added MacDonald.