List of the largest trading partners of Canada

Last updated

NAFTA leaders Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mexican President Pena Nieto, and U.S. President Barack Obama, 2014. Obama, Pena y Harper. IX Cumbre de Lideres de America del Norte.jpg
NAFTA leaders Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mexican President Peña Nieto, and U.S. President Barack Obama, 2014.

This is a list of the largest trading partners of Canada. Canada is considered to be a trading nation. [1] [2] [3]

Historically, the issue of Canada's largest trade partners, and dependence on particular markets, has been a major political issue. At the time of Confederation in 1867, the United Kingdom was by far Canada's largest trading partner, reflecting the close historical, cultural, and institutional ties within the British Empire. Over time, more and more of Canada's trade was proportionally done with the United States. Various governments hoped to strengthen or reverse this trend, by changing tariff policy either to one of Imperial Preference with the British, Reciprocity with the National Policy of internal development and 1911 elections were fought partly over the issue of closer trade relationships with the British. Following their Civil War, the United States emerged as Canada's largest trading partner.[ clarification needed ] By the time the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community in 1973, the idea of the UK as an alternative to the USA as Canada's largest market was no longer viable. Canada and the United States signed the Free Trade Agreement in 1988 (which was expanded into NAFTA by the addition of Mexico in 1994). Since that time the United States has dominated Canadian trade by an overwhelming degree. After the Wars, trade with Asia began to expand, especially China. After the opening of Canada–People's Republic of China relations in 1970, trade with China has expanded rapidly.

The 20 largest trade partners of Canada represent 94.0% of Canada's exports, and 91.9% of Canada's imports as of December 2016. [4] These figures do not include services or foreign direct investment.

The largest partners of Canada with their total trade (sum of imports and exports) in millions of Canadian Dollars for calendar year 2019 are as follows: [5]

RankTerritoryExportsImportsTotal tradeTrade balance
-World592,552.8601,303.71,193,856.5-8,750.9
1Flag of the United States.svg  United States 446,950.5304,845.3751,795.8+142,105.2
-Flag of Europe.svg  European Union 48,196.477,197.9125,394.3-29,001.5
2Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 23,249.174,992.798,241.9-51,743.6
3Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 7,319.436,911.944,231.3-29,592.5
4Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 12,522.816,518.129,040.8-3,995.3
5Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 19,807.59,191.928,999.5+10,615.6
6Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 6,293.119,224.425,517.6-12,931.3
7Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 5,485.09,620.015,105.0-4,135.0
8Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 3,241.09,452.612,693.5-6,211.6
9Flag of France.svg  France 3,636.18,687.812,323.9-5,051.7
10Flag of India.svg  India 4,782.15,457.110,239.3-675.0
11Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 5,183.54,663.79,847.3+519.8
12Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 3,118.24,963.18,081.3-1,844.9
13Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan 2,040.65,968.08,008.6-3,927.4
14Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 993.16,986.07,979.1-5,992.9
15Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 2,254.05,398.17,652.1-3,144.1
16Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 1,434.44,946.06,380.4-3,511.6
17Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 2,819.13,294.66,113.7-475.5
18Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1,503.83,477.54,981.3-1,973.7
19Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 895.13,744.14,639.2-2,849.0
20Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 2,257.52,337.04,594.5-79.5
-Rest of the world36,766.960,623.897,390.4-23,856.9

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Canada</span>

The economy of Canada is a highly developed mixed economy, with the world's tenth-largest economy as of 2023, and a nominal GDP of approximately US$2.117 trillion. Canada is one of the world's largest trading nations, with a highly globalized economy. In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion. Canada's exports totalled over $637 billion, while its imported goods were worth over $631 billion, of which approximately $391 billion originated from the United States. In 2018, Canada had a trade deficit in goods of $22 billion and a trade deficit in services of $25 billion. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the tenth-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, listing over 1,500 companies with a combined market capitalization of over US$3 trillion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercantilism</span> Economic policy emphasizing exports

Mercantilism is a nationalist economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports and minimize the imports for an economy. In other words, it seeks to maximize the accumulation of resources within the country and use those resources for one-sided trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act</span> 1930 U.S. trade law placing and raising tariffs on tens of thousands of imports

The Tariff Act of 1930, commonly known as the Smoot–Hawley Tariff or Hawley–Smoot Tariff, was a law that implemented protectionist trade policies in the United States. Sponsored by Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley, it was signed by President Herbert Hoover on June 17, 1930. The act raised US tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods.

A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and policy that taxes foreign products to encourage or safeguard domestic industry. Protective tariffs are among the most widely used instruments of protectionism, along with import quotas and export quotas and other non-tariff barriers to trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protectionism</span> Economic policy of regulating trade between states through government regulations

Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. Proponents argue that protectionist policies shield the producers, businesses, and workers of the import-competing sector in the country from foreign competitors and raise government revenue. Opponents argue that protectionist policies reduce trade, and adversely affect consumers in general as well as the producers and workers in export sectors, both in the country implementing protectionist policies and in the countries against which the protections are implemented.

Foreign trade of Argentina includes economic activities both within and outside Argentina especially with regards to merchandise exports and imports, as well as trade in services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia–Japan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations exist between Australia and Japan.

In its economic relations, Japan is both a major trading nation and one of the largest international investors in the world. In many respects, international trade is the lifeblood of Japan's economy. Imports and exports totaling the equivalent of nearly US$1.309.2 Trillion in 2017, which meant that Japan was the world's fourth largest trading nation after China, the United States and Germany. Trade was once the primary form of Japan's international economic relationships, but in the 1980s its rapidly rising foreign investments added a new and increasingly important dimension, broadening the horizons of Japanese businesses and giving Japan new world prominence.

Tariffs have historically served a key role in the trade policy of the United States. Their purpose was to generate revenue for the federal government and to allow for import substitution industrialization by acting as a protective barrier around infant industries. They also aimed to reduce the trade deficit and the pressure of foreign competition. Tariffs were one of the pillars of the American System that allowed the rapid development and industrialization of the United States.

Trade is a key factor of the economy of China. In the three decades following the dump of the Communist Chinese state in 1949, China's trade institutions at first developed into a partially modern but somewhat inefficient system. The drive to modernize the economy that began in 1978 required a sharp acceleration in commodity flows and greatly improved efficiency in economic transactions. In the ensuing years economic reforms were adopted by the government to develop a socialist market economy. This type of economy combined central planning with market mechanisms. The changes resulted in the decentralization and expansion of domestic and foreign trade institutions, as well as a greatly enlarged role for free market in the distribution of goods, and a prominent role for foreign trade and investment in economic development.

The trade relationship of the United States with Canada is the largest in the world. In 2016, the goods and services trade between the two countries totalled $627.8 billion. U.S. exports were $320.1 billion, while imports were $307.6 billion. The United States has a $12.5 billion trade surplus with Canada in 2016. Canada has historically held a trade deficit with the United States in every year since 1985 in net trade of goods, excluding services. The trade relationship between the two countries crosses all industries and is vitally important to both nations' success as each country is one of the largest trade partners of the other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia–Canada relations</span> Bilateral relations

Australia and Canada have a longstanding relationship fostered by both countries' shared history and culture as well as the links between residents of the countries. The two countries are former British Dominions and have a common head of state in King Charles III. Both countries are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Cairns Group, Commonwealth of Nations, Five Eyes, OECD and the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign trade of the United States</span>

Foreign trade of the United States comprises the international imports and exports of the United States. The country is among the top three global importers and exporters.

A trading nation is a country where international trade makes up a large percentage of its economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manufacturing in the United States</span>

Manufacturing is a vital economic sector in the United States of America. The United States is the world's second-largest manufacturer after the People's Republic of China with a record high real output in 2021 of $2.5 trillion.

Foreign trade in India includes all imports and exports to and from India. At the level of the Central Government, trade is administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Foreign trade accounted for 48.8% of India's GDP in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh–Canada relations</span> Bilateral relations

Foreign relations between Bangladesh and Canada were established 1972. Canada is represented through its High Commission in Dhaka and Bangladesh is through its High Commission in Ottawa. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations. Bangladesh currently receives ~$110 million from Canadian official development assistance per year as of January 2014. It is estimated that around 36,000 (2012) Bangladeshi people live in Canada, primarily in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa.

Trump administration farmer bailouts are a series of United States bailout programs introduced during the presidency of Donald Trump as a consequence of his "America First" economic policy to help US farmers suffering due to the US-China trade war and trade disputes with European Union, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and others. China and respectively European reconcilable tariffs imposed on peanut butter, soybeans, orange juice, and other agriculture products had hit hard, especially swing states, such as Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

References

  1. "Canada is a Trading Nation - Canada's Major Trading Partners". Archived from the original on 2010-09-12. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  2. http=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
  3. "OECD Statistics".
  4. "International merchandise trade for all countries and by Principal Trading Partners, monthly". 18 November 2014.
  5. "Annual Merchandise Trade". statcan.gc.ca.