One-third of my sales are from a distributor who sells into Canada. While the sales figures have been steady for a couple of years, they are still below 2007. I sell to the sewing notions industry.
How do you like filling out the NAFTA disclosure forms? I know it makes me nervous to have to vouch for my suppliers’ statements of country of origin. I have no idea if they are being honest.
However, I question the US net worth of $319k. In the past few years I have seen figures for American net worth of $150k to the most recent of $77k. How is the figure derived? If real estate forms the largest amount of net worth, perhaps it is easier to sell property in Canada? As someone with a low personal debt, I am also amazed to read of the average American holding consumer debt in excess of $20k. Perhaps Canadians do not have as much consumer debt?
I also question the *disparity* of under $44k. Right now the Canadian Dollar is 2% below the USD. It has varied from that to up to 2% above over the past few years.
There is also a population discrepancy between the two countries and, IIRC, a real estate boom in British Columbia that is attributed in some analyses to Chinese buyers.
I would also appreciate someone explaining why Canada is not taken to task in the media for exploiting its own mineral commodities, while we are prevented from exploiting ours.
Although it makes some of my fellow Canadians' teeth grate, resource extraction has been a large and important part of Canada's economy for at least a century. Its importance is like manufacturing to the States.
I know that American manufacturing has been hobbled by American governments; the same is true re. resources in Canada. But, the American liberals are canny enough to know that they can't openly flay American manufacturing. Analagously, resource extraction isn't openly flayed in Canada.
Since all of our product are made here we are exempt from the long detailed forms. The largest shipments go through a cartage agent and so long as we keep each box below 1500.00 we are OK as well.
Now I deal with a fishing class that spends on average of 500.00 for rod n reel. Whether they fly fish or use a center-pin the outfits are pricey and in all of my conversations, the Canadians are usually closer to 1500.00 on their center-pin rod and reel.
This is also the NE corridor of lobbyist and high payed Fed workers from DC, NY and PA. They fish on both sides of the border as well as the Canadians and we’ve seen nothing but growth from this region. In the rest of the country we’ve seen massive drops in volume.
I know what you mean about BC. Vancouver is looking like Asia. Good hard working people but they kill every fish they catch and that does not make for a sustainable resource.