Iowa
- 103,600 Iowa jobs depend on trade with Canada
- 3,700 Iowans are employed by Canadian-owned businesses
- Iowa sells more goods to Canada than to any other country in the world
- Total Canada–Iowa goods trade: $7.4 billion
Integrated automotive
supply chain
Cosma International, a wholly-owned operating unit of Ontario-based Magna International, is one of the world’s premier global automotive suppliers providing a comprehensive range of body, chassis and engineering solutions to OEM customers. As part of North America’s highly integrated automobile industry, Cosma operates manufacturing facilities in Victor and Montezuma, Iowa, where several hundred workers produce body and chassis systems.
Global leader in aircraft electronics
Based in Cedar Rapids, Rockwell Collins is a global leader in communications and aviation electronics for commercial aviation and military applications.
Founded in 1933, the company employs 20,000 in 27 countries, including approximately half in Iowa. The company has a substantial presence in Canada with headquarters of Rockwell Collins Government Systems Canada in Ottawa; Rockwell Collins Canada, Inc. in Montreal; and operations, investments, partners and supplies across the country.
In February 2012, Rockwell Collins announced it would be expanding its presence and commitment to Canadian aerospace and defense with increased service and support capabilities originating from the Ottawa and Montreal facilities.
Rockwell Collins hopes to strengthen its partnerships with the Canadian Army, Canadian Royal Navy and General Dynamics Canada. Rockwell Collins also maintains a substantial presence in Quebec, providing system engineering, customer support and sales to Bombardier, one of the world’s largest commercial and business aircraft manufacturers.
An increasingly important opportunity for Rockwell Collins is Canada’s participation in the Joint Strike Fighter project — a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike and ground attack aircraft for the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, and their allies. The company also has an active research and development program and industrial/regional commitments in Canada. Rockwell Collins has also sourced several technologies such as satellite communications and data, high-power amplifiers and enhanced vision systems.
For more information on Iowa’s trade with Canada, please contact:
Consulate General of Canada
701 Fourth Avenue South, Suite 900 • Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: (612) 333-4641 • Fax: (612) 332-4061
August 2012
Unless otherwise mentioned, all figures are based on 2011 data in U.S. dollars (US$1.00=C$0.9891). Statistics Canada: tourism, based on combined same-day and overnight travel (5/2012 release); goods & services trade (2/2012 release). World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (WISER): Canada’s export ranking (2/2012 release). U.S. Census Bureau: trade (2/2012 release). Services trade data not available at a sub-national level. Figures may not add up due to rounding. Produced by the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.
Supplemental content
Iowa–Canada facts
Foreign export markets
- Largest export market: Canada
- % foreign-bound goods sold to Canada: 31%
Iowa sells more goods to Canada than to the state’s next three largest foreign markets combined
Merchandise trade
- Iowa exports to Canada: $4.1 billion
- Iowa imports from Canada: $3.3 billion
- Bilateral trade: $7.4 billion
Jobs*
- # jobs that depend on trade with Canada: 103,600
- # employed by Canadian-owned businesses: 3,700
* Job numbers from trade (2010 data) and Canadian-owned businesses (2009 data) are from a 2012 study commissioned by the Government of Canada
Tourism
- Iowa visits by Canadians: 167,800, $30 million spent
- Iowa visits to Canada: 82,800, $41 million spent
Top exports
- Iron & steel alloys & semi-finished products: $268 million
- Animal feed & food industry residues: $221 million
- Agricultural machinery: $182 million
- Iron & steel tubes, pipes & sheets: $171 million
- Heating, cooling & refrigeration equipment: $158 million
- Animal meats: $154 million
- Beverages & alcohol: $147 million
- Motor vehicle parts: $93 million
- Plastics & plastic articles: $90 million
- Rubber & rubber articles: $88 million
- Pasta, breads & cereal preparations: $85 million
- Aluminum & aluminum articles: $79 million
- Aircraft: $73 million
Top imports
- Natural gas & other gases: $650 million
- Fertilizers: $326 million
- Paper & paperboard: $221 million
- Animal or vegetable fats, oils & waxes: $218 million
- Plastics & plastic articles: $164 million
- Cereals: $163 million
- Live animals: $160 million
- Aluminum & aluminum articles: $151 million
- Agricultural machinery: $109 million
- Inorganic chemicals: $103 million
- Motor vehicle parts: $76 million
- Animal meats: $65 million
- Optical, medical & precision instruments: $63 million
Iowa exports $4.1 billion in goods to Canada
- Equipment & machinery (30%)
- Agriculture (21%)
- Transportation (19%)
- Minerals & metals (14%)
- Chemicals (7%)
- Plastics & rubbers (4%)
- Other (5%)
Iowa imports $3.3 billion in goods from Canada
- Agriculture (22%)
- Energy (20%)
- Chemicals (15%)
- Equipment & machinery (12%)
- Minerals & metals (10%)
- Forest products (8%)
- Other (13%)
