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The Canada-Alaska connection: neighbors helping neighbors.

Article Excerpt
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Alaska's relationship with its next-door neighbor, Canada, is one of the state's most important international partnerships. Approximately 1,500 miles of common border and many shared interests, including significant commercial and cultural ties, drive this long-standing, multi-faceted connection. There is extensive cross-border trade and, in recent years, Alaskans and Canadians have teamed up to pursue a variety of business ventures and to jointly promote tourism.

Canada's involvement with Alaska's economy is significant and takes place on a number of levels. Canada is a major trading partner of Alaska, and Canadian firms have made substantial investments in the state. In addition, Canadians themselves travel to the state in large numbers and several Canadian port cities play a key role in Alaska's growing cruise ship industry. These investments and business activity support an estimated 8,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state, according to a newly updated report by the McDowell Group that details Canada's impact on Alaska's economy.

Trailing only Japan and South Korea, Canada has traditionally been the state's third-largest export market. Two years ago, it fell to the fourth position as Alaska's trade with a rapidly developing China propelled that country into the third position. In 2006, shipments from Alaska to Canada reached a record $445 million, a dramatic 100 percent increase over the previous year. This represents 11 percent of the state's total worldwide commodity exports.

BACK AND FORTH

The increase was fueled...