But, our pockets are not as deep as yours. At the same time, Canadian farmers and exporters continue to face slowdowns, demonstrations, and blockades at the border because some American farmers think Canadian producers are the ones getting a better deal. While the root cause of these actions is understandable maybe even natural given the tough times farmers face they are, nonetheless, based on misconceptions and misinformation about Canadian agriculture and trade practices. So, I'd like to tackle a few of these misconceptions tonight, and see if I can't set the record straight. To begin, I want to dispel the notion that trade between Canada and the United States is a one-way street heading south.
Trade flows both ways.
While it's true that the United States is Canada's largest export market for agriculture and food products, what is often left unsaid is that Canada is the United States' second largest customer for these goods, after Japan and our 30 million residents consume more American food than all of the 373 million people who make up the European Union. There are also misconceptions that heavily subsidized Canadian wheat is flooding the U.S. market. These beliefs are unfounded. Canadian wheat exports to the United States are equivalent to only about three per cent of American production and about five per cent of consumption. Allegations have also been made that Canada has closed the border to American grain.