The conference — organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the Canadian International Council in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development Canada — brought together senior government officials, business executives, and policy experts with the goal of further advancing North American economic cooperation and integration. Results from the NACIC feed directly into the North American Leaders’ Summit —an annual meeting of North America’s heads of government.

This is the second time Secretary Pritzker has met with the Canadian and Mexican cabinet secretaries responsible for international trade and commerce at the NACIC to focus attention on the promotion of regional strategies to enhance competitiveness and innovation, support economic development, and spur job creation in North America.

Trade Facts:

• The U.S.-Canada trade relationship is the largest, most dynamic, and most successful in the world. In 2013, the U.S. and Canada generated $736 billion in bilateral trade, which equals more than $2 billion in trade each day.
• The U.S. and Canada share the world’s longest international border, which leads to the daily interactions between our people and governments that comprise the core of our relationship. In fact, nearly 400,000 people cross our shared border each day.
• More than two-thirds of Canadian exports are destined for the United States.
• The U.S., Canada, and Mexico form the world’s most competitive regional economic platform. In 2013, U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada exceeded $1.3 trillion.
• North America represents 27% of global GDP, and 7% of the world’s population. Since NAFTA’s inception, the GDP of North America has doubled.

More photos from the NACIC event are in our Flickr gallery. More information about the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker is available here.

By U.S. Consulate General Toronto | 31 October, 2014 | Topics: Toronto