The Facts · Trade & Borders

A landlocked gamble

Alberta has no ocean port. Almost everything we sell reaches the world through Canada. Separation would put a border between us and our biggest market.

$98.5BAlberta's yearly trade with the rest of Canada2
0Alberta ocean ports3
15Trade deals Alberta accesses via Canada4
The geography problem

Why borders hurt Alberta most

1

No coastline, no leverage

Every barrel, bushel, and shipment relies on routes through British Columbia, the Prairies, and beyond. A border turns our lifelines into checkpoints.

2

Tariffs on our biggest customer

The rest of Canada buys billions in Alberta goods. As a separate country, that trade could face tariffs, quotas, and delays overnight.

3

Losing Canada's trade deals

USMCA, CETA, and CPTPP open doors for Alberta exporters today. Separation means renegotiating every one of them from a weaker position.

4

Pipelines cross a new border

The pipelines that carry Alberta energy run through other provinces. Separation hands enormous leverage to the neighbours we'd now negotiate with.

By the numbers

A landlocked, concentrated trade picture

Alberta relies on a few markets and on routes through other provinces to reach them.

Alberta's exports that go to a single market, the U.S.189%
Alberta crude oil exports headed to the U.S.593%
Alberta's trade that is with the rest of Canada232%
Albertans who would vote to stay in Canada660%
The choice

Open doors or hard borders

If Alberta separates

  • Customs borders with every neighbour
  • Tariffs on trade with the rest of Canada
  • Renegotiating every global trade deal
  • Pipelines crossing foreign territory
  • Higher costs passed on to consumers

If Alberta stays

  • Tariff-free access across all of Canada
  • Guaranteed routes to ocean ports
  • Membership in USMCA, CETA, and CPTPP
  • Pipelines protected within one country
  • Lower prices and reliable supply chains

Sources

  1. Statistics Canada, Table 12-10-0175-01 — about 89% of Alberta's international merchandise exports went to the United States (2024). StatCan.
  2. Statistics Canada, Table 12-10-0088-01 — Alberta's interprovincial exports (~$98.5B) were about one-third of its total exports (2022). StatCan.
  3. Government of Alberta — Alberta is landlocked with no ocean port; exports reach tidewater only through other provinces. alberta.ca.
  4. Trade Commissioner Service — Canada has 15 free trade agreements covering 51 countries, which Alberta accesses as part of Canada. Global Affairs Canada.
  5. Canada Energy Regulator — ~93% of Canadian crude oil exports went to the United States (2024). CER.
  6. Angus Reid Institute (May 2026) — 60% of Albertans would vote to remain in Canada. Angus Reid.

This is a demonstration site. Figures are sourced where shown.

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