Driven in part by a steep drop in auto shipments to the United States after President Trump imposed steep tariffs, Canada posted a record trade deficit of 7.1 billion Canadian dollars, about $5.2 billion, in April.

Exports to the United States, Canada’s largest market, were hard hit after the president began his trade war with Canada, declining by 15.7 percent since March, according to data by Statistics Canada, the national census and economic data agency, released on Thursday.

Mr. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on autos in April and introduced a similar levy on auto parts, although he has since suspended that tariff.

This week, Mr. Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and most of the world to 50 percent from 25 percent.

Canada’s economy is heavily dependent on trade, and last year about 75 percent of its exports were sent to the United States.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada has framed the trade war Mr. Trump started as a crisis for Canada and made shifting the country away from its reliance on the United States a cornerstone of his leadership.