Welcome to Our Colorado Chapter
Founded: 2022
Territory: State of Colorado
Executive Director: Rob Mancey, CEO AvenueWest Denver, President & Chairman Canada Colorado Association
Partners: Canada Colorado Association, Colorado Business Roundtable, Consulate General of Canada in Colorado, Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, International Business Circle, U.S. Commercial Service, World Trade Center Denver.
Background: In our eighth year since founding MAPLE Business Council, we are excited to launch our newest chapter in Colorado based in Denver.
Importance of Canada to Colorado
Canada is the #1 export market for the state of Colorado’s goods.
Estimated number of Colorado jobs that depend on trade with Canada: 131,000 (2013)
314 Canadian-owned businesses employ 23,079 workers in Colorado
Colorado exports $1.6 billion in goods to Canada annually
Canada buys 15 percent of the goods the state sells to the world, including nearly a quarter of its meat exports and a large share of medical device exports.
Canada, in turn, is a key supplier of crude oil, lumber, various other wood products, turbo propellers, plus technology and software. Energy products make up more than half of goods imports, worth $1.6 billion.
Colorado exports $1.0 billion in services to Canada annually
Canadian-owned companies employed 19,500 workers in the state in 2018. Among them: Nutrien, Calfrac Well Services, Suncor Energy, CGI, PCL Construction, WSP, Royal Bank of Canada, Open Text, Air Canada and WestJet.
Calgary-based Suncor’s Commerce City refinery complex in Denver is a major energy supplier to the state, producing 98,000 barrels a day of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
9,800 workers employed by companies based in Canada
Top sources of FDI in Colorado among 237 announced greenfield projects)
UK : 18%
Canada: 14%
Germany: 7%
Australia: 7%
Switzerland: 7%
Other: 47%
Importance of Colorado to Canada
A sizable market. Population: 5.6 million (2017)
Gross domestic product (GDP): US$342.7 billion (2017)
Best States for Economy ranking: 1st among the 50 U.S. states (2018)
Colorado’s diverse economy includes significant mining, agriculture ,and oil-and-gas industries in addition to thriving financial services, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, life science, and high-tech sectors.
Denver is ranked as the 10th strongest tech market in Canada/U.S. in the 2022 CBRE Scoring Tech Talent Report
Canada sells more to Colorado than it sells to Belgium
Colorado imports $4.9 billion in goods from Canada annually
Crude petroleum: $2.9 billion
Wood & semi-finished wood products: $358 million
Softwood lumber: $187 million
Furniture & bedding: $96 million
Optical, medical & precision instruments: $85 million
Plastics & plastic articles: $68 million
Iron & steel tubes, pipes & sheets: $65 million
Animal meats: $64 million
Pasta, breads & cereal preparations: $56 million
Explosives & pyrotechnics: $52 million
Colorado imports from Canada by industry:
Agriculture: 6%
Energy: 60%
Equipment & machinery: 8%
Forest products: 12%
Minerals & metals: 3%
Transportation: 4%
Other: 7%