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Ministry of Technology, Trade and Economic Development

United States

Why the United States Is Important to British Columbia

  • Nearly C$2 billion in goods and services cross the border daily between Canada and the U.S., making this trading relationship the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Bilateral trade between Canada and the U.S. amounts to C$700 billion, and since the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1989, trade between the two countries has tripled.
  • The U.S. ranked number 1 as a destination for British Columbia's exports in 2007, receiving 60.5 per cent of B.C.’s commodity exports. As a U.S. destination for B.C. exports:
    • Washington ranked number 1
    • California ranked number 2
    • Oregon ranked number 4 
  • The U.S. is the largest foreign investor in Canada and the most popular destination for Canadian investment. In 2006, U.S. direct investment in Canada was worth more than US$241 billion. Canadian direct investment in the U.S. was estimated at US$197 billion.
  • British Columbia is home to nearly 84,000 U.S. expatriates.

Highlights of B.C.-U.S. Relations

  • Forestry: British Columbia has had a long-standing lumber trade with the U.S. In 2008, B.C. exports of wood and articles of wood amounted to C$5.1 billion.
  • Tourism: The U.S. is the largest international travel market for B.C., making up about 70 per cent of total entries to the province last year. In 2007, B.C. saw over five million visitors (both overnight and same-day) from the U.S.
  • Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: In January 2008, British Columbia and Washington launched the first enhanced driver’s licence programs in North America. B.C.'s program is now in testing with plans to expand to all Canadian citizen residents in B.C. in the spring of 2009. The program will comply with the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which requires everyone entering or re-entering the U.S. to present a valid passport or other secure identity document.
  • Climate change:
    • Western Climate Initiative: In the spring of 2007, British Columbia joined the Western Climate Initiative, a collaboration launched in February 2007 by the governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington to develop regional strategies to address climate change.
    • Climate Registry: B.C. is a member of the Climate Registry, which sets consistent and transparent standards for the measurement, verification and public reporting of greenhouse gas emissions throughout North America in a single unified registry. The registry is a non-profit organization that supports both voluntary and mandatory reporting programs.
  • Pacific Coast Collaborative: On June 30, 2008, B.C. signed an agreement with the governments of Washington, California, Alaska and Oregon on the Pacific Coast Collaborative. The agreement aims to bring Pacific Coast governors and premiers together to establish a framework for leadership and co-operative action on areas of mutual interest and benefit for the Pacific Coast region (climate change, border security, transportation, trade and the 2010 Winter Olympics).
  • Pacific Northwest Economic Region: British Columbia is a member of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, a regional U.S.-Canadian forum dedicated to encouraging global economic competitiveness and preserving our world-class natural environment. In July 2008, Vancouver hosted a Pacific Northwest Economic Region conference, with industry discussion on issues of mutual concern.

More on B.C.-U.S. Relations

More Information on the U.S.