While Canada remains a major trading partner of the US, commodity trading with emerging markets has set the Great White North apart in recent years, says Stuart Graham.
Stuart, for investors in the US or in other countries who may not be terribly familiar with some of the strengths that Canada does offer, give us an overview.
Sure. Canada is often described as a small, open economy, and what’s happening right now in the Canadian marketplace is that we sometimes describe Canada as the analytical battleground between traditional ties to developed markets and those ties that are growing to developing markets.
Historically, Canada has been extremely tied to the fortunes of the United States. While of course that will continue, what we’re actually seeing is a little bit of a decline in terms of both the exports that Canada makes and what it imports from the United States.
What is risingâ€"and what’s exciting from a Canadian perspectiveâ€"is the role of emerging markets in Canada. Obviously, Canada has great natural resources, and in many ways the world wants what Canada hasâ€"specifically in the area of natural resourcesâ€"so this represents a tremendous opportunity for investors to take advantage of Canada as emerging markets grow and prosper.
Any particular global regions or industrial sectors that investors should take a particular look at?
Well, you know, certainly the oil and gas sector is something that is growing very considerably in Canada, if you look actually at the tar sands in the Alberta region. That represents a very safe and reliable source of energy, and that’s something that many investors have looked at.
Certainly, over the last year or so there have been lots of investors who have looked at key companies in Canada that basically tie into the resource richness of our country.
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