Canadians sometimes joke that Minnesota is Canada’s “11th province” or its “southernmost province.”
Without doubt, there’s plenty that the two places have in common — bitterly cold winters, an affinity for hockey, and a reputation for unfailing politeness, for starters.
The relationship between Minnesota and Canada goes deeper than that, though: Across a 550-mile border, they share people, goods, natural resources, and Tim Horton’s franchises.
From the economy to political and cultural attitudes, the breadth, and depth, of Minnesota’s ties to our neighbors to the north are more significant than you might think.
Canada and Minnesota: It’s big business
These days, the United States and Canada are each other’s biggest customers: In 2015, $670 billion worth of goods and services were exchanged over the 5,500-mile border.
Many states have close economic ties to Canada — for 35, including Minnesota, Canada is their largest foreign trading partner — but Canada has an outsize impact on Minnesota, and Canadian businesses view Minnesota as an essential economic partner.