Canada

‍Introduction - Ian R.
==



O, Canada! Our home and native land! Canada is a great country and our neighbor/hat to the north. Canada became a self governing dominion in 1867 while still retaining ties to Britain. They have remained parallel to the US, in an economic and technological sense. Canada’s geographic coordinates are 60 00 N 95 00 W, and its total area is 9,984,670 square kilometers. Canada’s terrain is mainly plains with lowlands in the southeast and mountains in the west. It is also the second largest country in the world, behind Russia. English is the official language, second being French. The general life expectancy is 81.38 years. Canada’s capital is Ottawa, and its national holiday, Canada Day, is on July 1. David Johnston is Governor General who represents Queen Elizabeth II for head of state. Their constitution is made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions. The written part is made up of the constitution act of March 29 1867, which created the federation of four provinces, and the constitution act of April 17 1982 which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments. Canada’s Government is made up of a legislative, executive and judicial branch. Canada has the 15th largest GDP at $1.33 trillion and a GDP per capita of $39,400. It’s main industries of transportation equipment, wood and paper products, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, fish products, chemicals, petroleum and natural gas. According to a 2008 prediction Canadians use 549.5 billion kWh, the 7th largest consumer in the world, and according to a 2010 estimate the produce 3.483 million barrel per day of Oil while only using 2.209 million barrels per day. Currently the US dollar is worth 1.03 Canadian dollars. International business activities are the things businesses take part in to sell, transport, or import international products/services the 5 activities are Indirect exporting, Direct exporting, Licensing, Joint Venture, and FDI. All information came from CIA Factbook. Canada also features the worlds longest highway [|Read More]

‍Economic Conditions - Hannah S.
Like most other countries nowadays Canada is trying to recover from a recession that occurred in 2009. Since then, their GDP has been growing steadily and is suspected to grow by over 2% in the coming year. After the [|recession in 2009], when they had a Gross Domestic Product decrease of 2.5%, the Canadian Government enacted the “[|Economic Action Plan]”, which is said to boost innovation and make business become competitive and successful, making the stimulus have an overall positive effect on the economy. The Canadian business market lacks the competition that other countries have, but this fact leads most economists to see Canada as a land of opportunity. This stimulus plan is said to be protecting an estimated 52 thousand jobs by distributing money to traditional jobs including the manufacturing sector, their largest job market. In 2009, the Canadian unemployment rate was at a high of 8.5%; the stimulus is projected to fix this and has decreased the [|unemployment rate]to be below 7.5% since this “Action Plan” was established. Luckily for Canadians they have the power of knowledge on their side, with one of the leading educational systems in the world they are able to educate their citizens on good business practices by helping promote skill development, post-secondary education and sector-specific knowledge growth. In 2007, Canada was ranked first among G7 countries for research and development performed in the higher-education sector as a percentage of GDP. Canada’s “Economic Action Plan” is said to be spending [|$5.1 billion]on science and technology infrastructure, research, skill development and commercialization.



‍Imports, Exports, and Trade Relations - Scott M.
Canada is a country with an abundance of natural resources, that they export to be able to afford the necessities of life that they then import. If I listed every country Canada trades with, and what they trade, it would be an entire project to itself. So, I will only include the trading between Canada and the United States.[|The top 10 exports] of Canada in order from most to least is Petroleum products at 21%, Passenger cars at 12.5%, Car parts at 5.1%, Assembled cars at 4%, Aluminum at 2.5%, Lumber at 2.2%, Finishing Materials at 2%, Plastics at 1.9%, Telecommunications at 1.3% and Engines at 1.3%.[|The top 10 imports] of Canada in order from most to least is Car parts at 10.3%, Cars at 5.7%, Trucks and Buses at 5.1%, Industrial machines at 3.2%, Engines and Parts at 2.8%, Plastics at 2.7%, Electrical appliances at 2.5%, Computer accessories at 2.3%, Industrial Engines at 2% and Iron and Steel products at 1.9%.As you can see, many of the objects in the export list are on the import list also. This is because the United States can create products that Canada has no ability to. This is also the same with Canadian products that the US purchases. The second top import and export is “Passenger Cars”. This is because of the different brands of cars that Canada makes versus the brands the United States makes are created in only their country, and must be transported over borders if someone in another country would like to enjoy their craftsmanship.
 * < Balance of Trade ||< Exports ||< Imports ||< Balance ||
 * < Totals ||< 404,834.2 ||< 413,832.8 ||< -8,998.6 ||
 * < United States ||< 296,672.0 ||< 259,952.7 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">36,719.3 ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japan ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9,716.6 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">10,067.2 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-350.6 ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">United Kingdom ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">16,985.8 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9,560.6 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7,425.2 ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Other European Union ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">19,475.8 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">30,788.3 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-11,312.5 ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Other OECD ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">17,908.3 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">29,012.9 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-11,104.6 ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All other countries ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">44,075.7 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">74,451.1 ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-30,375.4 ||

‍Currency: Values and Factors - Jordan T.
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Canada uses the Canadian dollar as their main currency. The Canadian dollar, as of 2007, was the 7th most traded currency in the world. Canada’s southern border is the U.S., which uses the US$. Canada has participated in a floating exchange system in which the price of its currency is dictated by currency exchange markets. A currency exchange market is a stock market for national currencies. It is where governments, state banks, commercial banks, multinational corporations, and currency speculators go to buy and sell different national currencies. The value of currencies is determined in large party by the economics of supply and demand. When demand is high and supply is low, the price of a currency will tend to rise. When demand is low and supply is high, the price will tend to fall. The Market influences on the value of canadian currency is based on the floating exchange system’s inner workings. One factor of currency value is determined when business activity increases, demand increases, while if business activity decreases, the demand also decreases. Another factor is the movement of investments in and out of the canadian economy. When people from other countries move investments from their country to canada, the value of the canadian dollar can rise, while if people move investments away from canada, then the canadian dollars value could plummet. There are also the speculative value changes, just like in any stock exchange. The Government influences in the currency exchange markets, often influence the supply and demand of its currency. They use policies and activities so that currencies are commonly referred to as “monetary policy.” Now, the Canadian government no longer pursues a monetary policy in which it attempts to keep the price of the Canadian dollar fixed or pegged relative to other currencies.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">[|http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/canadian-dollar-nature-and-impacts-canadian-exchange-rates#valuing]

[] [] [] [] Link to Video: []

‍Laws and Regulations - JJ M.
As a member of NAFTA (**__N__**orth **__A__**tlantic **__F__**ree **__T__**rade **__A__**greement), Canada benefits from having free trade with its fellow North American countries Mexico, and the United States. The bill to start NAFTA was signed in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush, Mexican President Salinas, and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Its main purpose is to eliminate trade barriers, increase investment opportunities, establish procedures for resolution of trade disputes, but most importantly, increase the competitiveness of Mexico, Canada, and the US on the global marketplace. NAFTA between the years of 1993-2009, had boosted the countries trade from $297 billion to $1.6 trillion Canada . The organization that works on foreign affairs in Canada is Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Their job is to manage Canada's diplomatic and consular relations, and to promote global trading. Their criteria includes: ensuring that Canada's foreign policy reflects true Canadian values and further Canada's national interests; strengthening rule-based trading compromises and expanding free/fair market access at bilateral, regional, and even global levels; and working with associates in and out of the government to accomplish maximized economic opportunities and improved security for Canada and for Canadians everywhere. The priorities of the FAITC involves bringing greater economic contingency, building on effective methods for the relations with the Americas, as well as a worldwide approach for affiliations with the United States, and asserting Canadian leadership in the emerging global governance . The Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada plays a similar role to the United States Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is the person in the US government that handles all foreign affairs (not just the affairs concerning trade), as well going through comprehensive negotiations with other countries to work with those said countries on treaties and other agreements. Canada's laws and regulations are very similar to that of the US and since they both are two members of NAFTA they have a very similar trading style.

‍Consumer Products/Services - Maria N.
<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Exported goods consists of raw materials such as lumber, fish, and minerals. Services are activities that individuals, groups, organizations, or companies perform to advise others. Some examples of exported services would be banks, insurance firms, telecommunications companies, water and electricity suppliers, translators, housekeepers etc. Canada imports necessary items like fruits/vegetables, crude petroleum, energy products, metals, chemicals, plastics, aircraft machinery, cars and car parts. With these items their factors uses commercials to advertise the products so it can persuade them to buy the products. The marketing strategy is achieving by Canada overall business goals. It includes a definition of Canada business, a description of their products or services, a profile of their target users or clients, and defines their company's role in relationship to the competition between the businesses that are selling similar products. The marketers introduce the new products and services to the market and they try to exploit the exposure gained be the new culture. The consumers also gather the taste through different measures and gather different cultural view, which it called cultural transfer. When consumers are making purchase decisions they may take in to consideration the cultural of their country. Culture becomes an evaluation for consumers in order to decide various purchase decisions. The consumers have an attitude for different products belong to the different countries. For an example, red rose tea belongs to Canada, Honda belongs to Japan. In view of these marketers the total for Cultural and Environmental characteristics of other countries and society. Marketers will first have to obtain the society's present attitudes and customs with regard to preventive medicine and related concepts. The very important situation exists for marketers are to understand the culture objectively. The most important situation is that consumers present their attitude about the foreign products and how much consumers are influenced by their own culture.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">

‍Promotional Activities - Maria A.
Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers coordinate their companies' market research, marketing strategy, sales, advertising, promotion, pricing, product development, and public relations activities. In small firms the owner or chief executive officer might assume all advertising, promotions, marketing, sales, and public relations responsibilities. In large firms, which may offer numerous products and services nationally or even worldwide, an executive vice president directs overall advertising, marketing, promotions, sales, and public relations policies. Advertising managers direct a firm’s or group’s advertising and promotional campaign. They can be found in advertising agencies that put together advertising campaigns for clients, in media firms that sell advertising space or time, and in companies that advertise heavily. They work with sales staff and others to generate ideas for the campaign, oversee a creative staff that develops the advertising, and work with the finance department to prepare a budget and cost estimates for the campaign. Often, these managers serve as liaisons between the firm requiring the advertising and an advertising or promotion agency that actually develops and places the ads. In larger firms with an extensive advertising department, different advertising managers may oversee in-house accounts and creative and media services departments. The account executive manages account services departments in companies and assesses the need for advertising. In advertising agencies, account executives maintain the accounts of clients whereas the creative services department develops the subject matter and presentation of advertising. The creative director oversees the copy chief, art director, and associated staff. The media director oversees planning groups that select the communication medium for example, radio, television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, or outdoor signs that will disseminate the advertising. And sometimes they will compare the promotions of other country’s.

‍Small Business Success - Kimberly W.
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A small business is defined as a company that is privately owned and employs less than 50 people. Small businesses in Canada are very common because of terrain difficulties and cultural belief in the “ideal small business”. When a small business is started it faces many economic problems, staring with the business itself. If the company sells a service or product that is not wanted, it is going to go into debt. A small company can also suffer from poor management and poor capitalization. A small business in Canada depends highly on the strength of the Canadian Dollar because they get less foreign competition and can be more flexible in their expenses. Businesses in Canada can become more profitable in many ways; starting with what they sell. If the company looks into what is popular in Canada, they will have a much better chance of making money. Businesses can also hire the best management team, which will make the employees much more happy and eventually more profitable. A business in Canada must hope for a strong Canadian Dollar because they will make money; but even if it is a weak dollar a business can protect itself by ensuring its business is necessary for customers. Most small businesses have to use their own money to start up the company. It can also be difficult to get your company onto the joint stock company market registry, and even if you get accepted you have to fill out massive amounts of paperwork and pay various fees. You need to acquire a small business bank account, which comes along with various fees. You will need to apply for a small business ID number, which can take months to acquire and can easily be misidentified. Businesses overcome these problems by getting a start up loan from a bank, then working really hard to ensure that they will make money and can pay back their loans.

‍Conclusion - Kelsey C.
==== In many ways Canada is similar to the U.S. but they do have their unique traits in their own right. For instance, their terrain is mainly plains with lowlands in the South and mountains in the West. Russia may be the largest country in the world, but Canada is first runner up! English is the official language, but the second widely spoken language is surprisingly French. Like many other parts of the world, we have been impacted by the major [|2009 Recession]. when they had a Gross Domestic Product decrease of 2.5%, the Canadian Government enacted the “[|Economic Action Plan]”, which is said to boost innovation and make business become competitive and successful, making the stimulus have an overall positive effect on the economy and has since then decreased the [|unemployment rate]to be below 7.5% after the plan was estasblished.They take place in alot of international trade as well. The top 10 exports of Canada in order from most to least is Petroleum products at 21%, Passenger cars at 12.5%, Car parts at 5.1%, Assembled cars at 4%, Aluminum at 2.5%, Lumber at 2.2%, Finishing Materials at 2%, Plastics at 1.9%, Telecommunications at 1.3% and Engines at 1.3%, [|more exports]. Canada has many economic opportunities due to the NAFTA agreement, they have no trade barriers with the U.S. which is what keeps their economy flourishing, even through mishaps like the 2009 recession. **Due to Canada's similarities and appealing traits, many businesses would prosper in their economy. Out of all industries, Manufacturing alone would do the best most likely. There are many lands that are left unused, Canada is always available to import materials and export as well. Canada is truly open for many opportunities!** ==== < / "North America: Canada." //Cia: The world factbook//. N.p., 2011. Web. 29 Nov 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html>. > 9. <  N.A.,. "How the Loonie Affects the Canadian Economy." //A Dawn Journal//. N.p., 11 A. Web. 29 Nov 2011. <http://adawnjournal.com/2010/04/11/how-the-loonie-affects-the-canadian-economy/>. > < /  http://www.kidport.com/reflib/worldgeography/canada/canada.htm >