Canada's February trade deficit widened by a significant margin due to higher gold imports, which brought total imports to a record high. This was also the first time that Canada's share of exports to the U.S. dropped to its lowest level of just over ​66%, from 68% a month ago and over 79% a year ago. The trade deficit for February was at C$5.74 billion ($4.12 ⁠billion), following an upwardly revised C$4.18 billion in the previous month. Total imports surged by 8.4% in February, bringing the total value of imports to C$72.1 billion, an all-time high. The surge in imports was led by a 45.6% increase in imports of metal and non-metallic mineral products, particularly led by purchases of gold in the U., particularly by Canadian entities.