[MD_Willington_1976]

Canada is by far the United States' largest trading partner, with more than 1.4 billion in trade a day. By comparison, in 1999 this was more than U.S. trade with all the countries of Latin America combined. U.S. exports to Canada exceed those to all members of the European Union combined.

Just the two-way trade that crosses the Ambassador Bridge between Michigan and Ontario equals all U.S. exports to Japan. Canada's importance to the United States is not just a border-state phenomenon: Canada is the leading export market for 35 of 50 U.S. States.

The largest component of U.S.-Canadian trade is in the automotive sector. Under the 1965 U.S.-Canada Automotive Agreement (Auto Pact), which provided for free trade in cars, trucks, and auto parts, two-way trade in automotive products rose from $715 million in 1964 to $104.1 billion in 1999.

The U.S. is Canada's leading agricultural market, taking nearly one-third of all food exports. Conversely, Canada is the second-largest U.S. agricultural market (after Japan), primarily importing fresh fruits and vegetables and livestock products. Nearly two-thirds of Canada's forest products, including pulp and paper, are exported to the United States; almost 75% of Canada's total newsprint production also is exported to the U.S.

Canada is a major producer of hydroelectricity, oil, and gas; unlike most of its industrial partners, it is a net exporter of energy (primarily gas and electricity). Canada's exports and imports of oil are currently in approximate balance. Crude petroleum is the largest single component of Canada's minerals output. Canadian oil reserves are about 6.8 billion barrels. Canada annually produces more than 500 million barrels of oil and about 3.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The United States imports over 2 trillion cubic feet or 12% of its natural gas requirements from Canada. Canada is the largest energy supplier for the U.S.

At $21 billion in 2000, U.S.-Canada trade in energy is the largest U.S. energy trading relationship in the world. The primary components of U.S. energy trade with Canada are oil, natural gas, and electricity.

Canada is the United States' largest oil supplier and the fifth-largest energy producing country in the world. Canada provides about 16% of U.S. oil imports and 14% of total U.S. consumption of natural gas. The United States and Canada's national electricity grids are linked and both countries share hydropower facilities on the Western borders.

The U.S. is Canada's largest foreign investor; at the end of 1999, the stock of U.S. direct investment was estimated at $116.7 billion, or about 72% of total foreign direct investment in Canada. U.S. investment is primarily in Canada's mining and smelting industries, petroleum, chemicals, the manufacture of machinery and transportation equipment, and finance.

Canada is the third-largest foreign investor in the United States. At the end of 1999, the stock of Canadian direct investment in the United States was estimated at $90.4 billion. Canadian investment in the United States--which includes investment from Canadian holding companies in the Netherlands--is concentrated in manufacturing, wholesale trade, real estate, petroleum, finance, and insurance and other services.

Nominal GDP (2001): $700 billion.
GDP - composition by sector:
·agriculture: 3%
·industry: 31%
·services: 66% (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
·fossil fuel: 27.18%
·hydro: 59.77%
·nuclear: 12.25%
·other: 0.8% (1998)

Electricity - exports: 39.502 billion kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish

Exports: $277 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities: motor vehicles and parts, newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminum, telecommunications equipment, electricity
Exports - partners: US 84%, Japan 3%, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China (1998)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electricity

Imports - partners: US 77%, Japan 3%, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea (1998)

[xJones]

I read your "about" page, and you and your wife sound like excellent citizens-to-be. Congrats on your baby boy.

Thanks for the facts in #16. The thrust of it is that Canada and the U.S. are so intertwined that a break-up would be nearly impossible, and disasterous to even attempt.