What do all these items have in common?

These are all Items Canada imports. What does Canada Export?

In 2009, agricultural, energy, forestry and mining exports accounted for about 58% of Canada's total exports. Machinery, equipment, automotive products and other manufactures accounted for a further 38% of exports in The United States is by far its largest trading partner, accounting for about 73% of exports and 63% of imports as of Canada's combined exports and imports ranked 8th among all nations in 2006.

To import – A product or service that is brought into a country from another country. To Export - A product or service produced in one country for sale in another country.

Why would Canada import a good rather then building it?

Some goods and services can be created in other countries at a much cheaper cost than in Canada. This can be for a number of reasons: Limited resources, a lack of manufacturing infrastructure (no plants available) and Labour costs For Example, most clothing we wear today is manufactured in other countries. The people working in these factories receive a fraction of what the average Canadian gets. Labour cost usually account for the highest expense in manufactured good and services.

No nation can survive independent of other countries, and with globalization, this interdependence of countries will only increase.

Imports Vs. Exports

When the total value of exported goods is greater than the total value of goods imported, A trade surplus exists. When the opposite happens (imports are greater than exports) a trade deficit occurs. Having a trade surplus is essential to Canada and Canadians. 1 out of 5 jobs are tied into industries that export goods. Eg. When oil is cheaper, the world demands for oil increases, and more Canadians can find work in that industry; however, when oil prices soar, demand starts to decrease and many oil workers become unemployed.

Analyzing Canada’s Trade Canada trades with countries all over the world, but trade with the USA exceeds all other countries. Canada generally imports four categories of goods: High tech products (computers etc.), motor vehicle parts, goods produced in warm climates (oranges, bananas), low cost goods (clothing from China) Canada generally exports three categories of goods: natural resource based products (lumber, minerals), motor vehicles, Specialized manufactured goods (French fries).

Pairing Activity With a partner (only 2 people total) Use table 34.2 on p 457 for this information Create a bar graph that shows the countries that bought Canada’s exports & the value of the exports that each country bought. (hint: put the $ on the horizontal axis and use entire width of your page for the graph. Create a second bar graph showing our top 10 import partners and the value of the imports from each.

Canadian Imports

Canadian Exports