Louisiana’s historic ties to Canada help to generate a thriving business climate in trade and investment
Canada and Louisiana are linked by a history that goes back to Louisiana’s very beginnings. In the mid-1700s, Louisiana became home to thousands of Acadians from Canada, and out of this migration blossomed the Cajun culture that Louisiana is known for today. More recently, Canada and Louisiana have partnered on important investments in technology, chemicals and other sectors.
Notable Canadian Investment in Louisiana
- Methanex – Methanol production plant, $550 million
- Tolko – $115 million LaSalle Lumber Company LLC sawmill, a joint venture of Hunt Forest Products and British Columbia-based Tolko Industries
- E.I. Williams – Industrial sound-control equipment manufacturing facility, creating 100 new direct jobs
- CGI– In April 2014, CGI announced the selection of Lafayette, Louisiana, for the establishment of a technology center representing a $13.1 million in capital expenditure and has created more than 400 jobs. The center, which anchors the 143-acre University of Louisiana at Lafayette Research Park, develops complex business and IT solutions for clients seeking a strategic technology partner. CGI selected Lafayette after a nearly two-year national search. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project is resulting in an additional 405 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 800 new permanent jobs in Acadiana.
Trade Between Canada and Louisiana
| Exports to Canada | |
|---|---|
| Mineral Fuel, Oil Etc.; Bitumin Subst; Mineral Wax | $1.89 billio |
| Plastics and Articles Thereof | $970.3 million |
| Miscellaneous Chemical Products | $516.8 million |
| Organic Chemicals | $302.6 million |
| Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery Etc.; Parts | $164.1 million |
| Inorg Chem; Prec & Rare-earch Met & Radioact. Compd. | $154.4 million |
| Fertilizers | $112.7 million |
| Animal, Vegetable or Microbial Fats And Oils Etc. | $103.4 million |
| Rubber and Articles Thereof | $71.6 million |
| Railway or Tramway Stock Etc.; Traffic Signal Equip | $57.7 million |
| TOTAL | $.3 BILLION |
| Imports from Canada | |
|---|---|
| Mineral Fuel, Oil Etc.; Bitumin Subst; Mineral Wax | $1.6 billion |
| Aluminum and Articles Thereof | $514.4 million |
| Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery Etc.; Parts | $379.3 million |
| Animal, Vegetable or Microbial Fats and Oils Etc | $308 million |
| Ores, Slag and Ash | $193 million |
| Special Classification Provisions, Nesoi | $93.1 million |
| Fertilizers | $87.8 million |
| Plastics and Articles Thereof | $76.9 million |
| Wood and Articles of Wood; Wood Charcoal | $64.7 million |
| Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar | $57.8 million |
| TOTAL | $3.4 BILLION |
Air Travel
Direct flights are available to Toronto via the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International airport.
Cultural Ties and Resources
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is a music, food and craft festival held in Lafayette, Louisiana, that features the sounds, flavor and crafts of south Louisiana and celebrates the Cajun culture brought to Louisiana by the Acadians in 1755. Learn more here.
Louisiana State University has exchange programs with Brock University (St. Catharine’s), Laurentian University (Sudbury), Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops) and University of Regina (Regina).