Ottawa, ON (January 15, 2025) — Canada and the United States stand at a crossroads in their trade and economic partnership, with tariffs emerging as the most pressing challenge for businesses on both sides of the border. To clearly map out the vital importance of these relationships and the risks they face, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab has introduced the Canada-U.S. TradeTracker—a new interactive tool designed to illustrate the ties between our two economies.
With a new U.S. administration touting a ‘great, beautiful golden age for business’, the rise of protectionist rhetoric threatens to derail that vision. The Canada-U.S. Trade Tracker delivers real-time data and actionable insights, equipping businesses and policymakers with an information hub to defend and strengthen North America’s most important trade partnership.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher,” said Candace Laing, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “Tariffs and trade barriers jeopardize jobs, industries, and families across both sides of the border. The Canada-U.S. Trade Tracker gives us the tools to push back with facts, showing just how much we all stand to lose when imposing taxes on prosperity.”
The Stakes in Numbers
Every day, $3.6 billion in goods crosses the Canada-U.S. border, fueling a $1.3 trillion annual trade relationship. This partnership supports:
- 1.4 million American jobs tied to Canadian exports.
- 2.3 million Canadian jobs tied to U.S. exports.
- 50% of bilateral goods trade between related companies, underscoring the depth of integration between our economies.
With Canada as the #1 export market for 34 U.S. states, cross-border trade sustains millions of jobs, businesses, and communities across North America.
The Stakes for People
A 25% tariff could shrink Canada’s GDP by 2.6%, costing Canadian households an average of $1,900 annually. For the U.S., this would mean a 1.6% GDP drop, with families losing $1,300 per year. Beyond the economic impact, tariffs would disrupt industries like automotive, agriculture, and energy, making everything from groceries to cars more expensive.
“Trade isn’t just about dollars —it’s about people,” Laing added. “While governments might disagree, the ties between our businesses, workers, and communities are too important to be collateral damage in political disputes. The tracker helps us focus on what’s at stake and what needs to be built on.”
The Canada-U.S. Trade Tracker delivers real-time insights into trade flows, industry trends, and data- backed analysis, helping businesses and policymakers navigate the uncertainty posed by tariffs and other barriers with clarity and confidence—so we can safeguard North America’s most successful trade relationship for the benefit of all.
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About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce — The Future of Business Success
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s largest and most activated business network — representing over 400 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and more than 200,000 business of all sizes, from all sectors of the economy and from every part of the country — to create the conditions for our collective success. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the undisputed champion and catalyst for the future of business success. From working with government on economy-friendly policy to providing services that inform commerce and enable trade, we give each of our members more of what they need to succeed: insight into markets, competitors and trends, influence over the decisions and policies that drive business success and impact on business and economic performance.
