Canada, more than any developed country, is a trade-dependent nation. A staggering 45% of its gross domestic product is directly linked to trading activities. Far from being just hewers of wood and carriers of water, Canadian businesses export some of the world’s most sophisticated value-added telecommunications, aerospace, computer and automotive products.
That Canada punches above its weight in international trade activity is shown by the fact that its merchandise exports now rank sixth in the world. More and more though, it is the export of services – its brain power – in the fields of engineering, architecture, IT, accounting and legal
services that is catching the eyes of clients around the globe. Yes, Canada still sells wheat, energy and lumber in record quantities, but it is finally shedding the ‘branch plant economy’ stigma.
