09/11/2026
We keep hearing the U.S. is getting "ripped off" by Canada on trade? The math literally says the exact opposite!
Look at the numbers: Total bilateral trade hits around $880 billion a year. Canada’s population is 41.4 million compared to America's 342.6 million. Per capita, Canadians buy $10,300 worth of American goods every single year. Americans buy just $1,300 per capita from Canada. That means Canadians purchase nearly eight times more per person from the U.S. than we buy from them!
"But what about the trade deficit?" Glad you asked! The U.S. total trade deficit with Canada sits around $35.7 billion. But that deficit is 100% driven by energy imports like heavy crude oil. Strip out energy, and the United States actually runs a massive +$63.2 billion trade surplus against Canada!
We import Canadian oil because it’s the cheapest local option.
Starting a tariff war with our biggest per-capita customer isn't economic strategy, it’s moronic!