72 Percent of Americans Think Good Relations with Canada Will Help the U.S. Economy

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Sep 02, 2010, 09:00 ET

In Latest Round of FD Polling from the Canadian American Business Council, Americans Rank the Economic Relationship with Canada as the Most Important When Compared Against Other Countries, such as China

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the United States continues to follow a slow recovery in the health of its economy, new polling information from the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) shows that the majority of Americans believe it is important for the United States to have good economic relations with Canada.

"This latest round of polling evidences a consistent belief among the American public that having good relations with Canada is very important for the U.S. economy," said Maryscott Greenwood, Executive Director for the CABC. "Polls like this one confirm that Americans value the special relationship that exists between our two countries."

The survey found that 72 percent of Americans think it is "very important" for the U.S. to have good economic relations with Canada. Canada was a clear leader in this poll by a healthy margin. Relations with the other five major U.S. trading partners -- China, Mexico, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom -- were less important in terms of benefits to the U.S. economy.

"This round of polling shows that Americans value the interconnectedness of our two economies to support job creation and economic recovery," said Don Millar, a member of the CABC Board of Directors and Managing Director at FD, an international management consulting firm. "With these results, Americans are sending a clear and direct signal to policy makers that we should work to enhance opportunities for greater cooperation between our countries."

It is also clear from the results of the poll that this opinion is shared evenly across the U.S. In the North for example, 97 percent of Americans think it is important to maintain good economic relations with Canada. In the South and in the rest of the country, 93 percent of Americans shared the view that relations with Canada are very important.

Methodology: Polling was conducted by FD, a leading international consultancy, based on a national sample of 1,000 adults, aged 18+, from July 31 – August 2. There was a 3.1 percent margin of error in 95 out of 100 cases.

About the Canadian American Business Council

The CABC is the voice of business in the world's most prosperous relationship. Established in 1987 in Washington, D.C., the Council is a non-profit, non-partisan, issues-oriented organization dedicated to elevating the private sector perspective on issues that affect our two nations. Our members are key business leaders and stakeholders from both sides of the border. The Council's activities include high-level briefings on issues of current concern, assistance with practical trade and policy challenges, significant networking opportunities, and informative seminars.

For more information contact:

Emma Rigby, Deputy Director, CABC: 202 496 7906; [email protected]; www.canambusco.org

SOURCE Canadian American Business Council