The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Canada's car exports fell to a four-year low in January, with passenger vehicle exports dropping 33 per cent or $1.3-billion. The Globe's Jason Kirby writes in the Decoder column that this contributed to a larger-than-expected trade deficit of $3.6-billion, Statistics Canada said. Vehicle exports experienced their fourth-largest monthly decline since the late 1980s, with the previous larger drops occurring during recessions in 1991, 2009 and 2020. January's poor auto numbers are hoped to be a one-off, as Statscan attributed the decline to "prolonged seasonal production stoppages" due to model changes, a point noted by economists. CIBC economist Katherine Judge says that auto plant retooling may boost real exports in the coming months. Automakers have cut production, reduced shifts and laid off workers in Ontario. Since January, 2025, Canadian auto exports have halved. Canada's car-parts sector has fared better, since parts that comply with the existing free-trade agreement can enter the U.S. duty-free. Indeed, parts exports in January were down just 2.5 per cent from a year earlier. But assembled vehicles traditionally accounted for the bulk of Canada's auto sector.