Home Trade and Investment State Trade Fact Sheets 2006 Montana

Montana

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• Canada–U.S. trade supported 5.2 million U.S. jobs
• Total Canada–U.S. merchandise trade: $461 billion
• Canada–Montana trade supported 16,000 U.S. jobs
• Canadians made more than 459,000 visits to Montana, spending $85 million
• Montana residents made more than 120,700 visits to Canada, spending $50 million

Proximity promotes prosperity
Montana recorded growth in exports to and imports from Canada, increasing the depth of the trade relationship. What distinguishes Montana from many other states is the comparative importance of Canadian goods in its marketplace. Montana exported modest amounts of natural resources and heavy machinery, with $354 million in sales to Canada. It imported $3.3 billion worth of Canadian goods, an increase of 14% from the last year. Although the state has a trade deficit with its northern neighbor, Canada is its most important trading partner with more trade northbound than to all other foreign markets combined.

Crude yet essential
While many neighboring states relied on Canada for electricity, Montana bought $2.4 billion in crude petroleum (a significant portion of which carries on to North Dakota, Wyoming and the Pacific Northwest) and $112 million in natural gas from its northern neighbor. The partners share a strong and secure energy relationship with Montana purchasing energy shipments totaling $2.6 billion in 2005, an increase of $382 million or 17% from the previous year. Canadian energy warmed Montanan homes and contributed to the state's industrial productivity.

Plenty of paper
The vast geography of Montana provides the state with an abundance of forest products. Saw mills begin the process of transforming the state's ample supplies of lumber into exportable commodities. Canada relied on Montana for paper and paperboard ($48 million), and plywood and wood building boards ($15 million), needed for its construction industry and paper products. While both forest products experienced a slight decrease in demand from Canada, they maintained their positions as two of the state's top exports.

In return the state purchased $113 million in softwood lumber. Montana bought a variety of Canadian forest products, totaling $200 million for the entire sector.

Power tools
One of the Treasure State's more unique products is the combine reaper-thresher, used in mechanical processing and harvesting of fields. Montana supplied Canada with $4.4 million worth making them the state's 8th largest exported good to Canada with double the volume of sales in 2004. Construction and maintenance machinery was a new entry to the state's list of leading exports to Canada with sales reaching $3 million.

Movie quality vistas
Two national parks straddling the Montana-Canada border were designated the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in 1932 and continue to attract many visitors. Canadians made 459,000 visits to Montana, which contributed $85 million to the state's economy. The people of Montana traveled northbound making 120,700 visits to Canada, spending $50 million in the process.

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

• Paper & paperboard ($48)
• Plywood & wood building boards ($15)
• Crude petroleum ($12)
• Inorganic chemicals ($10)
• Diesel engines & turbines ($9)
• Automobiles ($6)
• Crude wood materials ($5)
• Combine reaper-threshers ($4)
• Scrap iron & steel ($4)
• Construction & maintenance machinery ($3)

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

• Crude petroleum ($2,402)
• Petroleum & coal products ($151)
• Softwood lumber ($113)
• Natural gas ($112)
• Fertilizers ($83)
• Mining machinery ($31)
• Organic chemicals ($31)
• Prefabricated buildings & structures ($13)
• Oil seed cake & meal ($12)
• Metal fabricated basic products ($8)

Canada-Montana Success Stories

Enerplus Resources Fund opened its US headquarters in February 2006 to manage its US assets located primarily in Montana. Enerplus is currently the largest oil producer in Montana and its move into the state highlights the growing interest of energy-focused Canadian Income Trusts in US assets. The company's US assets were purchased following the successful Energy Partnering Mission to Calgary in April 2005 which sought to increase cross-border investment in the energy sector.

Governor Brian Schweitzer announced the establishment of the Montana-Canadian Provinces Relations Advisory Council, a positive milestone in Montana-Canadian relations. The Council, headed in Montana by Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger, is designed to help facilitate open dialogue on cross-border management issues including agriculture, livestock, wildlife, energy, environment, water management, transportation, tourism, education, economic development, law enforcement and emergency preparedness and response.

Montana-Canada Facts at a Glance:

• State jobs supported by Canada–U.S. trade: 16,000

August 2006

For more information on Canada's trade with Montana, please contact:

Consulate General of Canada
1625 Broadway, Suite 2600
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 626-064  •  Fax: (303) 572-1158
www.denver.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