Alabama
- 106,400 Alabama jobs depend on trade with Canada
- 9,600 Alabamans are employed by Canadian-owned businesses
- Alabama sells more goods to Canada than to any other country in the world
- Total Canada–Alabama goods trade: $5.0 billion
Canadian Forces officers at Maxwell AFB (Montgomery) celebrate Canada Day 2010 along with their families and Canadian guests
Driving Alabama jobs
In 2011, merchandise trade worth $5 billion and 113,400 state jobs created by that trade and investment helped to promote strong ties between Alabama and Canada. The state’s largest foreign market was Canada, purchasing 18% of Alabama’s world-wide goods exports.
The automotive sector played a vital role in supporting bilateral trade and job creation. Alabama and Canada exchanged more than $2.4 billion in transportation goods in 2011. The state supplied its partner with $2 billion worth, about 61% of its total sales to Canada and imported another $373 million.
Magna International
Magna International Inc.is an important economic and job creation partner for Alabama. As one of the world’s largest and most diversified automotive suppliers, Magna has parts manufacturing operations in Birmingham and McCalla. Its workforce of 450 produces trim and other parts for both the Southeast U.S. and Canada. In spite of tough economic times, the company’s award winning Alabama operations continue to rank among the state’s most important transportation businesses.
Other important Canadian links include Matsu Alabama Inc., which offers stamping and welding assembly services at its Huntsville location. Established in 2004, this subsidiary of Canadian-headquartered Matcor Inc. employs 200 and generates sales close to $30 million each year. Also located in Hunstville is Mitchell Plastics. The company set up its Alabama operations in 2004 to supply plastic interiors and trim to Honda and other area auto manufacturing operations.
CGI
Canada’s CGIis one of the world’s largest independent IT and business process services firms. CGI provides end-to-end services for a wide range of government, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, utilities, retail and manufacturing clients.
Consistent with its strategy of investing in the development of full-service IT centers in rural communities, CGI selected Troy as the location for one of its Centers of Excellence. CGI’s Alabama center added 300 jobs to community.
For more information on Alabama’s trade with Canada, please contact:
Consulate General of Canada
1175 Peachtree Street, N.E. • 100 Colony Square, Suite 1700 • Atlanta, GA 30361-6205
Phone: (404) 532-2000 • Fax: (404) 532-2050
August 2012
Unless otherwise mentioned, all figures are based on 2011 data in U.S. dollars (US$1.00=C$0.9891). Statistics Canada: tourism, based on combined same-day and overnight travel (5/2012 release); goods & services trade (2/2012 release). World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (WISER): Canada’s export ranking (2/2012 release). U.S. Census Bureau: trade (2/2012 release). Services trade data not available at a sub-national level. Figures may not add up due to rounding. Produced by the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.
Supplemental content
Alabama–Canada facts
Foreign export markets
- Largest export market: Canada
- % foreign-bound goods sold to Canada: 18%
Merchandise trade
- Alabama exports to Canada: $3.3 billion
- Alabama imports from Canada: $1.7 billion
- Bilateral trade: $5.0 billion
Jobs*
- # jobs that depend on trade with Canada: 106,400
- # employed by Canadian-owned businesses: 9,600
* Job numbers from trade (2010 data) and Canadian-owned businesses (2009 data) are from a 2012 study commissioned by the Government of Canada
Tourism
- Alabama visits by Canadians: 95,300, $19 million spent
- Alabama visits to Canada: 49,000, $45 million spent
Top exports
- Automobiles: $1.5 billion
- Motor vehicle parts: $339 million
- Paper & paperboard: $125 million
- Plastics & plastic articles: $122 million
- Iron & steel tubes, pipes & sheets: $92 million
- Iron & steel alloys & semi-finished products: $85 million
- Rubber & rubber articles: $83 million
- Optical, medical & precision instruments: $72 million
- Organic chemicals: $58 million
- Aluminum & aluminum articles: $56 million
- Trucks: $46 million
- Furniture & bedding: $37 million
- Aircraft: $35 million
Top imports
- Motor vehicle parts: $113 million
- Rubber & rubber articles: $85 million
- Softwood lumber: $78 million
- Furniture & bedding: $75 million
- Aluminum & aluminum articles: $73 million
- Wood pulp: $67 million
- Plastics & plastic articles: $63 million
- Iron & steel alloys & semi-finished products: $61 million
- Fuel oil: $43 million
- Engines & turbines: $42 million
- Iron & steel tubes, pipes & sheets: $40 million
- Optical, medical & precision instruments: $38 million
- Zinc & zinc articles: $30 million
Alabama exports $3.3 billion in goods to Canada
- Transportation (61%)
- Equipment & machinery (10%)
- Minerals & metals (9%)
- Plastics & rubbers (6%)
- Forest products (4%)
- Chemicals (3%)
- Other (6%)
Alabama imports $1.7 billion in goods from Canada
- Transportation (22%)
- Equipment & machinery (19%)
- Minerals & metals (16%)
- Forest products (10%)
- Plastics & rubbers (9%)
- Chemicals (6%)
- Other (18%)
