O, Canada! New Jersey’s Economic and Cultural Connections to Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, “The relationship between Canada and the United States serves as a model for the world,” and that “our shared values, deep cultural ties, and strong integrated economies will continue to provide the basis for advancing our strong and prosperous partnership.” While this sentiment applies broadly to the relationship between Canada and the United States, it is also a particularly apt reflection of the close bonds between Canada and the State of New Jersey.

Canada is renowned globally for being highly educated, remarkably multicultural, and a polite society. Like our neighbors to the north, we New Jerseyans are also highly educated, boasting one of the nation’s top-rated education systems, remarkably multicultural, with the second highest ranking in the concentration of foreign-born residents, and extremely poli… Ok, well, we ARE smart and diverse, just like Canada!

Values & Trade

We’re aligned in other important ways, too. Canada and New Jersey both cherish core values that emphasize high-quality public education, common-sense gun laws, public safety, women’s reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. We also share deep commercial and cultural ties that form the bedrock of a trading relation­ship worth nearly $20 billion per year.

As the largest international market for goods exported from New Jersey and the State’s 2^nd largest trading partner overall, Canada has been recognized by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, in their inaugural “Global Economic Index,” as one of the State’s top foreign economic relationships.  

With 46 daily flights to Canada, Newark Liberty International is one of the top hubs for U.S.-Canadian air travel and forms part of the busiest flight corridor in the world between the New York metro area and Toronto. Ninety businesses from Canada currently take advantage of New Jersey’s prime location and deep talent pool to launch their products and services into the U.S. market, employing over 26,000 workers.

Success Stories

There is no better example of this relationship than CGI, the Montreal-based IT and business consulting services company that expanded its New Jersey presence in 2022 by establishing a new regional office with over 250 employees in the burgeoning tech hub of New Brunswick. The office includes collaborative space to foster CGI’s mentorship programs, including its work with the New Brunswick PTECH High School program, a STEM-based, public-private partnership intended to establish a clear pathway from high school to college and then to a career.

They’re joined by TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Canadian Toronto-Dominion Bank, which has made significant investments in New Jersey, including a major technology hub in Mount Laurel that focuses on digital banking and fintech innovations; RBC Capital Markets, a part of Royal Bank of Canada, and a recipient of State tax credits, has offices in Florham Park and Jersey City; Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce giant that recently established a fulfillment center in Phillipsburg to enhance their service capabilities in the United States; and many more Canadian companies thriving in the state.

This unique relationship between Canada and New Jersey — based on mutual respect, economic cooperation, and shared values — demonstrates the power of partnership and serves, as Prime Minister Trudeau says, as a true model for the world.