indicatorThe Twenty-Four

Alberta’s international customers part 4 of 4

How do we stack up against the other provinces?

By Rob Roach, ATB Economics 7 June 2022 1 min read

With the trajectory of global trade being called into question by protectionism, supply chain disruptions and war, this four-part series is focused on Alberta’s international exports.

Exports are an important part of every province’s economy. Averaged over the 2010-2019 period (before the disruptive effects of the pandemic in 2020), New Brunswick had an export-to-GDP ratio of 45% while Nova Scotia had the lowest ratio at 18%. Alberta’s ratio was 35% and Canada’s was 31%.

The real value of Alberta’s exports increased by 56% between 2010 and 2019—the highest jump in the country—compared to a 33% increase nationally. New Brunswick (-10%) and Nova Scotia (-4%) were the only provinces to post declines.

In absolute terms, Alberta is the second largest exporter after Ontario. Ontario’s share of total merchandise exports from Canada in 2021 was 38% compared to 22% for Alberta and 16% for Quebec.

The United States is the largest customer of every province, but Alberta is most dependent on it. The US accounted for 89% of Alberta’s merchandise exports in 2021 compared to 83% in Manitoba and 81% in Ontario. Newfoundland and Labrador was at the other end of the continuum with 47% of its exports heading south of the border last year.

Answer to the previous trivia question: Japan has nearly 7,000 islands, of which about 430 are inhabited.

Today’s trivia question: What is the population of Mexico?

The United States is the largest customer of every province, but Alberta is most dependent on it

The United States is the largest customer of every province, but Alberta is most dependent on it


Economics News

Subscribe and get a quick daily snapshot of what’s happening in Alberta’s economy

Need help?

Our Client Care team will be happy to assist.