Canada Desk
Canada is Maine’s largest trade and investment partner.
Maine exported $1.3 billion of products – approximately 40% of the state’s total – to Canada last year. This figure only accounts for physical products. The value of the relationship grows substantially when adding in services like banking and tourism. As a border state, Maine serves as a logistics hub for Eastern Canadian trade and relies on Canadian inputs for domestic manufacturing. Maine’s natural resource-based industries (potatoes, blueberries, lobster, forest products, etc.) are highly integrated with Canada, which is characterized by two-way trade flows of raw materials and finished products, as well as bilateral investments in each other’s markets.
Two-way trade between Maine and Canada tops $6 billion per year
Maine exports $1.2 - $1.8 billion in goods to Canada annually
94 Canadian-owned businesses employ 5,350 Maine workers
Maine International Trade Center (MITC) assists Maine companies through one-on-one counseling for market entry strategy, organized trade missions to Canada, and professional connections with public and private sector entities in Canada.
Three good reasons for Maine companies to consider the Canadian market:
Four Key Provinces
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec are four key provinces to Maine’s trading relationship with Canada. Due to their proximity, robust industries, and cultural similarities, these provinces serve as logical first markets of entry for Maine companies ready for international opportunities.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick has a resource-based economy dependent largely on forestry, mining, and fishing. Tourism, agriculture, small-scale manufacturing, and a growing service sector provide balance and diversity. Real economic growth tends to be at or above the regional average for the Atlantic Provinces region, reflecting expansion in oil refining, telecommunications, computer software development, and natural gas distribution.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia, a maritime province located along the Atlantic Coast, has one of the most diverse economies in Canada. Dominant industry sectors include: ocean tech, advanced manufacturing, naval defense, seafood, agri-food, and financial services. The Port of Halifax serves as one of the most important ports for goods entering Canada. Over one third of Canada’s military assets reside in Nova Scotia, which has also become a pioneer in clean energy projects in the region.
Ontario
Ontario generates 37% of the national GDP and is home to almost 50% of all Canadian employees in high tech, financial services, and other knowledge-intensive industries. Ontario’s economy thrives through its unique combination of resources, manufacturing expertise, exports, and a drive for innovation. Agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, mining, services, and financial services industries are some of the province’s most dominant sectors.
Quebec
While Quebec is the largest Province by area and second largest by population in Canada, most of its residents live in urban areas between Montreal and Quebec City. Quebec’s dominant industries include agriculture, manufacturing, biotech, transportation, education services, health care and life sciences, multimedia, and financial services. For the past decade, Quebec has been outspending most jurisdictions, at home and abroad, on R&D as a percent of GDP.