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Get the Facts

Many Connect2Canada members have expressed an interest in learning more about issues relating to Canada and the Canada-U.S. relationship to share with friends and colleagues. For example, did you know...

America's Biggest Trading Partner

  • Over 8 million U.S. jobs are directly supported by trade with Canada, including 1.3 million in the northern border states alone.
  • Canada is the # 1 export market for 35 states.
  • $1.9 billion in two-way goods and services trade a day - almost $2 million every minute.
  • Over 1,300 U.S. suppliers in 38 states ship auto parts to Canadian assembly facilities. This supports over 360,000 American jobs. On the investment side, Canadian auto parts firms have over 60 facilities in the U.S. that employ thousands of Americans.

America's Largest Supplier of Energy

  • Canada provides more oil, gas, electricity and uranium than any other country to the U.S.
  • In 2004, Canada displaced Saudi Arabia as the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S.
  • Canada has the second largest oil reserves in the world.

Working with the United States on Climate Change

  • Canada has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.
  • Canada is committed to working with the provinces and its partners to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases.
  • Canada has set an objective of meeting 90% of Canada's electricity needs from non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020.

People-to-People Contact Defines the Canada-U.S. Relationship

  • Approximately 400,000 businesspeople, tourists, truckers and regular commuters travel between Canada and the U.S. daily.
  • Each year over 145 million border crossings take place.
  • In 2007, Americans made 13.4 million visits to Canada, spending $6.6 billion; while Canadians made 24.3 million visits to the U.S., spending $10.7 billion.

America's Trusted Security Partner

  • Canada and the United States share the longest, secure border in the world.
  • Canada and the United States have established 23 Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBET), integrated bi-national law enforcement teams involving agencies from both countries to share information on national security, organized crime and work with local, state and provincial law enforcement to secure the border.

America's Active and Staunch Ally in Afghanistan

  • More than 25,000 Canadian personnel have deployed to Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf since October 2001. Current Canadian Forces contribution on the ground in Afghanistan stands at more than 2,800 personnel.
  • Canada is one of the leading members of the 37-nation NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan.
  • Canada is among the top bilateral donors in Afghanistan in the world today. Afghanistan has become Canada's single largest development program.
  • Canada is making the largest investment in a generation - $25 billion - to equip our defence forces with C-17 aircraft, Chinook helicopters, Hercules C130J aircraft and other defence materiel so that we can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our American partners in Afghanistan and in other troubled regions of the world.

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