A new report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab (BDL), in partnership with ATB and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB), From Readiness to Reach: Indigenous Trade, Partnership and Economic Growth in Alberta, was recently undertaken to fill a critical knowledge gap: understanding how Indigenous entrepreneurs in Alberta participate in and are affected by trade.

It finds that while the majority of Indigenous-owned firms in Canada focus on local markets, a stable core of 150 to 170 Indigenous businesses now export annually, generating revenues between $300 million and $400 million.

As per the report, long before modern borders were established, Indigenous nations thrived with prosperous, sustainable markets of trade; trade was a bridge between the First Peoples on these lands grounded in trust, reciprocity and respect. Today, we are witnessing a revival of that tradition among Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses.

Growth and scale in Alberta

Alberta represents roughly 15% of all Indigenous-owned exporting enterprises in Canada. The data reveals a story of rapid adaptation over the past five years across the province.

Between 2015 and 2020, Alberta’s share of national Indigenous export value lagged behind its share of exporting firms, suggesting most provincial exporters were smaller in scale.

By 2022, however, Alberta’s share of Indigenous export value rose to 9%. This convergence points to a maturing ecosystem where Indigenous businesses are scaling operations and finding value abroad. Notably, Indigenous-owned firms in Alberta reported an export-to-revenue ratio of 24% in 2022, consistently outperforming the national Indigenous average of 20%.  

Pragmatism in the face of uncertainty

Indigenous firms in Alberta are largely anchored in local and interprovincial markets, prioritizing community-centred operations while fostering long-standing relationships. While most of these firms are domestically focused, there's a small but powerful subset of globally connected firms that drive the region’s international footprint.

Among Indigenous firms in Alberta that sell to the U.S., only 20% of their sales were derived from American sources, lower than both the national average (32%) and national average for Indigenous firms (34%).

Rising U.S. protectionist policies have created uncertainty, particularly for export-adjacent industries—such as construction and manufacturing—that provide services to companies shipping across the border.

However, Indigenous entrepreneurs are demonstrating resilience. Rather than retreating, the survey data suggests they are adapting with agency through:

• Diversifying supply chains: Sourcing raw materials from global networks to reduce reliance on U.S. suppliers.
• Price adjustments: Making modest changes to goods or services to manage rising input costs.
• Domestic focus: Strengthening interprovincial and inter-Indigenous trade connections to retain domestic customers.

The path forward

Looking ahead, rooted in community values and growing digital capability, Indigenous entrepreneurs in Alberta are favourably positioned to play a larger role in regional and international trade networks.

Expanding this participation will require closing gaps in financing, enhancing export literacy and providing access to digital and physical infrastructure while also strengthening interprovincial and inter-Indigenous trade connections.

Answer to the previous trivia question: The United Kingdom replaced China as Canada’s second largest customer last year, accounting for 6% of the value of total merchandise exports. A jump in gold exports accounted for the increase in the value of exports to the UK.

Today’s trivia question: Retail trade stands out as a cornerstone of Indigenous entrepreneurship in Alberta. Approximately what % of Indigenous-owned firms in the province operate in retail?