Albertans keeping close eye on the U.S. election: survey

This combination photo shows Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an event, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J., left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo)

Most Albertans are paying close attention to the outcome of the U.S. election because of its potential impact on the Canadian economy, a new survey suggests.

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce, in a new study called 2024 U.S. Election: Impact on the Calgary Business Community, says 72 per cent of Albertans are following the U.S. election and 83 per cent believe the outcome will impact Alberta's economy.

"Nearly $3.6 billion of goods and services cross the border each day and millions of jobs on both sides of the border are created and supported as a result," said Ruhee Ismail-Teja, vice-president of policy and external affairs at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, in a news release.

"Businesses of every size and sector rely on market access and favourable trading conditions for their success. As such, the outcome of November's election is critical and will shape the economic relationship between our two nations over the next several years."

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Last year, Canada exported $595 billion in goods and services to the U.S., the chamber said. That's about 78 per cent of Canada's net exports.

Alberta's export share was $156.1 billion – more than 90 per cent of net exports by value.

"Canada's success is tightly linked with the United States," Ismail-Teja said.

"Each presidential candidate continues to put forth their policy promises regarding how they intend to approach trade.

"It is important to understand the potential impacts of each approach so that both governments and businesses can respond accordingly to ensure their growth and success."

The chamber's report is the first part of a three-part series that examines the Canada-U.S. trading relationship and "analyzes the signals from both Mr. (Donald) Trump and Ms. (Kamala) Harris on their respective policy decisions regarding foreign trade."

The second piece of the report will focus on specific economic platforms of the Republican and Democratic parties while the third will include "actionable recommendations" to municipal, provincial and federal governments about how to respond following the vote.

The full report can be found online.