The Alberta and Western Canada export experience under the free trade agreements, 1988-2005

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This report reviews and analyzes Western Canadian merchandise export activity for the years 1988 through 2005. The text, tables, and figures in this report refer only to merchandise exports. The exports are valued in Canadian dollars and are classified according to the Harmonized System (HS) Codes and are compiled from Statistics Canada Trade Data. The report follows merchandise export activity of the Western Canadian provinces beginning with the year preceding Canada signing its first free trade agreement with the United States. Section one highlights the value of the Western provinces’ exports and the significance of the NAFTA trading partners to Western Canadian Exports. Section two further examines the total merchandise exports and top export categories of Western Canada – British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The third section highlights Western Canada’s export relationships with the U.S. and Mexico from 1993 to 2005. Section four provides a detailed examination of Alberta’s merchandise exports to NAFTA partners by sector from 1993 to 2005. In addition this section gives a detailed analysis of Alberta’s value added and primary exports over the past ten years by sector. These exports are examined at the four-digit HS level to illustrate current and emerging trends. Section five provides a ten year review of export activity from Western Canadian provinces to Chile, Israel and Costa Rica.