Getting to Know the Economic Ties that Canada & Colorado Share Together

Ottawa and Denver

We've compiled some trade and investment data on the significant depth and breadth of the economic ties that Colorado and Canada share together.


The Importance of Canada to Colorado

  • Canada is the #1 export market for the state of Colorado’s goods.

  • Estimated number of Colorado jobs that depend on trade with Canada: 131,000 (2013).

  • 314 Canadian-owned businesses employ 23,079 workers in Colorado.

  • Colorado exports $1.6 billion in goods to Canada annually.

  • Canada buys 15 percent of the goods the state sells to the world, including nearly a quarter of its meat exports and a large share of medical device exports.

  • Canada, in turn, is a key supplier of crude oil, lumber, various other wood products, turbo propellers, plus technology and software. Energy products make up more than half of goods imports, worth $1.6 billion.

  • Colorado exports $1.0 billion in services to Canada annually.

  •  9,800 workers employed by companies based in Canada

  •  Top sources of FDI in Colorado among 237 announced greenfield projects)

    • UK : 18%

    • Canada: 14%

    • Germany: 7%

    • Australia: 7%

    • Switzerland: 7%

    • Other: 47%

The Importance of Colorado to Canada

  • A sizable market. Population: 5.7 million (2020).

  • Gross domestic product (GDP): US$374 billion (2021).

  • Best States for Economy ranking: 1st among the 50 U.S. states (2018)

  • Colorado’s diverse economy includes significant mining, agriculture ,and oil-and-gas industries in addition to thriving financial services, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, life science, and high-tech sectors.

  • Denver is ranked as the 10th strongest tech market in Canada/U.S. in the 2022 CBRE Scoring Tech Talent Report

  • Canada sells more to Colorado than it sells to Belgium

  • Colorado imports $4.9 billion in goods from Canada annually

    •  Crude petroleum: $2.9 billion

    • Wood & semi-finished wood products: $358 million

    • Softwood lumber: $187 million

    • Furniture & bedding: $96 million


Colorado imports from Canada by industry:

  • Agriculture: 6%

  • Energy: 60%

  • Equipment & machinery: 8%

  • Forest products: 12%

  • Minerals & metals: 3%

  • Transportation: 4%

  • Other: 7%