Year-over-year Christmas tree sales trending up

Sales of natural Christmas trees are reported to be strong again for 2009, continuing the upward trend from 2008. According to Statistic Canada the value of farm cash receipts for Christmas trees in Canada in 2008 was $65.0 million, up from $58.6 million in 2007.

The value of artificial Christmas trees imported to Canada in 2008 was $46.9 million. Of that amount, nearly $44.8 million came from China. Those numbers are expected to remain steady or to decline slightly, as more Canadian consumers return to the higher quality, environmentally friendly option of natural trees.

Exports of Canadian trees to the US are also expected to show modest gains on the 1.8 million units, worth an approximate $32 million posted in 2008. Exports to all other countries accounted for another $2.2 million, with the strongest demand coming from central and South America and the Caribbean islands.