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Ohio 2003

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In 1989, the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement went into effect, phasing out all tariffs and many non-tariff barriers to trade. Evidence of the benefits of free trade are clear as two-way trade in goods and services between Canada and the United States totaled $440 billion in 2002, the largest bilateral exchange in the world. Furthering the benefits of free trade, the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened the Mexican market to Canada and the United States.

In first place... In 2002, Canada and Ohio traded approximately $23.9 billion worth of goods. Canada bought almost $14.6 billion worth of Ohio products, and the state imported $9.3 billion from its northern neighbor. This bilateral trade represented a surplus for Ohio of over $5.0 billion with 55% of its goods going across the Canadian border.

Driving up the profit... Transportation was the most profitable sector of Ohio trade. This sector, worth $7.8 billion, accounted for 53% of the state's total exports, an 8% increase from 2001. Motor vehicle parts, Ohio's leading export good, reached $3.2 billion, or roughly 22% of the total exported to Canada. Also leading the trade to Ohio's northern neighor was $1.9 billion in automobiles, a total that increased 29% since last year. Products from the transportation sector accounted for six of Ohio's top ten exports to Canada.

Supplying industry with metals and machinery... Canada bought over $857 million in machinery from the state, including $54 million in bearings, $34 million in compressors, blowers and vacuum pumps and $29 million in engines and turbines. Additionally, Ohio's $1.4 billion in metal exports to Canada included $207 million in plate steel, sheet and strip and $94 million in aluminum, including alloys.

Meeting a variety of needs... The Buckeye State provided various goods to Canadian consumers. Among the state's leading exports to Canada were $290 million in containers (a 4% increase from last year) and a 16% increase in unshaped plastics, worth $225 million.

Bilateral reliance... Canada sold Ohio $2.7 billion in transportation equipment, an increase of 5% over 2001. Included in this figure are motor vehicle parts worth $2.2 billion, or 24% of Canada's Ohio bound goods. This mutual trade reliance promoted economic stability to Ohio's vast automobile industry.

Supporting Ohio industry... Metal imports into the state were worth $1.3 billion last year. Aluminum, including alloys accounted for $266 million, basic metal products, $265 million and plate steel, sheet and strip, another $224 million.

Meeting Ohio's other needs... Ohio's various other imports from Canada included $482 million in synthetic rubber and plastics, $214 million worth of softwood lumber and $196 million in newsprint.

Ohio, the home of the Wright Brothers, inventors of flight... In 2002, Canadians made 447,000 visits to Ohio and spent $63 million. Ohio residents made 890,000 visits to their northern neighbor and spent $242 million.

July 2003

Trade, Security & the Border

In 1996, Canada and the United States implemented a comprehensive Shared Border Accord to deepen cooperation on border management issues. Since the September 11th attacks on the United States, Canada and the United States have accelerated those efforts to protect the security and enhance the prosperity of their citizens. The two governments continue to expand threat information sharing, upgrade their crisis response abilities and ensure that the Canada-U.S. border remains secure with an efficient flow of trade. The 30-point Smart Border Action Plan, enacted in December 2001, takes aggressive steps toward building a smart border for the 21st century - a border open for business but closed to terrorists.

For more information on Canada's trade with Ohio, please contact:
Consulate General of Canada
600 Renaissance Center, Suite 1100
Detroit, MI 48243-1798
Tel: (313) 567-2340
Fax: (313) 567-2164
www.detroit.gc.ca

All figures are for 2002 and are in US dollars. Merchandise trade and tourism figures are from Statistics Canada, converted at the rate of US$1.00=C$1.5704. Canada's export ranking is from the Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research (MISER). Figures may not add up due to rounding.

• Read the 2002 state trade figures