Home Trade and Investment State Trade Fact Sheets 2006 Alaska

Alaska

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• Canada–U.S. trade supported 5.2 million U.S. jobs
• Total Canada–U.S. merchandise trade: $461 billion
• Bilateral Canada-Alaska trade in metals was valued at $132 million
• Canada's role in the Alaska economy directly accounts for more than 2,600 jobs and $134 million in payroll anually

A vital trading partner
Canada represents Alaska's fourth largest export market after Japan, South Korea, and China. Canada received 6.2% of the state's total foreign exports in 2005, worth $225 million. Bilateral trade between Alaska and Canada grew by nearly 8% in 2005, reaching $576 million.

Metals and mining
Metals remained Alaska's largest export to Canada, generating $104 million for the state in 2005, with Canadian companies in Alaska playing a dominant role in their extraction. Precious metals and alloys exports earned the state another $1 million. In exchange, metals accounted for 8% of Alaska's imports from Canada. Canadian know-how kept the mining industry humming. Alaska's resource development industries relied on Canadian companies, who sold $27 million in mining machinery in 2005.

A wealth of nature
Alaska's export economy remains closely tied to the development of its abundant natural resources, including fisheries, and Canada continues to be a strong market for the state's seafood products. In 2005, Alaskan fish and seafood exports to Canada amounted to $89 million.

Energized trade
The state imported $80 million worth of petroleum and coal products — 22% of its total purchases from Canada in 2005 — making them Alaska's leading Canadian import. This represented an increase of $21 million, or a 36% jump over 2004. In return, Alaskans sold $13 million in fuel oil to Canada during the same period, a $3 million or a 30% rise from 2004.

Built for northern extremes
Alaska imported $30 million worth of prefabricated buildings and structures in 2005 — the second largest single import from Canada after energy. Sales of prefabricated buildings and structures, used in many resource industries, jumped 15% last year, highlighting continued growth of Canadian exports suited for Alaska's resource industries and northern climate.

Alaska: cool with Canadians
By land, sea, and air, Canadians made 87,100 visits to Alaska, generating the state $55 million in revenue in 2005. In turn, Alaskans recorded 102,100 visits to Canada, generating $41 million. Tourism links between Canada and Alaska remain strong, particularly on the Al-Can Highway and the increasingly popular summer cruise route up the West Coast.

Alaska's Leading Exports to Canada
2005, in millions of U.S. dollars

• Metals &ores; ($104)
• Fish &seafood; ($88)
• Fuel oil ($13)
• Aircraft ($4)
• Crude wood materials ($1)
• Drilling machinery &drill; bits ($1)
• Precious metals &alloys; ($1)
• Aircraft engines &parts; ($1)
• Aircraft parts* ($1)
• Iron &steel; pipes &tubes; ($1)

*not including engines

Alaska's Leading Imports from Canada
2005, in millions of U.S. dollars

• Petroleum &coal; products ($80)
• Prefabricated buildings &structures; ($30)
• Mining machinery ($27)
• Steel castings &forgings; ($10)
• Metal fabricated basic products ($10)
• Electrical lighting equipment ($8)
• Heating &refrigeration; equipment ($8)
• Organic chemicals ($7)
• Softwood lumber ($6)
• Ships, boats &parts; ($6)

Canada-Alaska Success Stories

Teck Cominco Alaska Inc.
Teck Cominco Alaska Inc. owns and operates the world's largest leadzinc mine, which produces more than 1 million tons of concentrates at its northwest Alaska facility. Red Dog, the state's largest mine, also became the first in the nation to have its environmental management systems certified in December 2004 under a stringent standard called ISO 14001. Red Dog was created under an agreement with the NANA Regional Corp., an Alaska Native Corporation, and has hired more than 1,000 NANA shareholders since 1989. Teck Cominco is also a partner and operator of the Pogo mine, which is slated to produce approximately 400,000 ounces of gold a year over a 10-year period and provide jobs to at least 250 workers.

Other Partnerships With Native Businesses
Other Canadian companies are forming successful ventures with Alaska Native-owned businesses. In 2000, the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. (ASRC) subsidiary ASRC Energy Services acquired Calgary-based Tri Ocean Engineering Ltd., an engineering and procurement firm for the energy sector with 400 employees world-wide. Tri Ocean designs facilities for onshore, offshore, and Arctic oil and gas developments. Alberta-based Colt Engineering Corp., a designer of hydrocarbon process facilities in North America and internationally, has successfully partnered with NANA Development Corp. Their joint venture, NANA/Colt Engineering, LLC, provides a broad range of engineering capabilities serving Alaska's petroleum, mining, government, and utility industries and employs nearly 230, including many Alaska Natives.

Acuren
Acuren, a leader in Alaska's energy-support services sector, provides inspection and corrosion examination services on the North Slope, the largest producing oil field in North America. Acuren is taking a leading role in using automated ultrasonic inspection to quantify internal corrosion on pipelines, helping to keep the state's vital energy infrastructure safe and environmentally sound.

White Pass & Yukon Route
The historic White Pass & Yukon Route railway, built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush, is a narrow gauge railroad running through some of Alaska and Canada's most beautiful scenery. Re-opened in 1988 for tourism, it has become Alaska's most popular shore excursion, carrying more than 400,000 passengers from May to September from Skagway, AK to neighboring British Columbia.

Alaska-Canada Facts at a Glance:

• State jobs supported by Canada–U.S. trade: 13,000

June 2006

For more information on Canada's trade with Alaska, please contact:
Consulate of Canada
310 K Street, Suite 220
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 264-6734   •   Fax: (907) 264-6713
www.anchorage.gc.ca

Sources: Merchandise trade and tourism figures are from Statistics Canada, converted at the rate of US$1.00=C$1.2116. Merchandise trade data is customs-based for the year 2005. Job numbers are based on 2001 data from a 2003 study by Trade Partnership Worldwide commissioned by the Canadian Embassy. Canada's export ranking is from the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (WISER). All figures are in U.S. dollars. Figures may not add up due to rounding.

• Read the 2005 state trade figures
• Read the 2004 state trade figures
• Read the 2003 state trade figures
• Read the 2002 state trade figures