"The biggest trading partner of the United States is not West Germany or Japan, it's right here"

Brian Mulroney underscores the significance of regional economic relationships over distant international ones. While much public and media attention in the 1980s was engrossed by the economic rise of countries like Japan and West Germany, Mulroney reminds audiences that the United States’ most crucial trading partnership was not an overseas matter, it was close at hand, “right here.” As the then-Prime Minister of Canada, Mulroney was alluding to the deep economic interdependence between Canada and the United States.

The context is crucial: during the 1980s, global economics was dominated by conversations about the strength of the Japanese economy and the industrial powerhouses of Europe. It was not unusual for politicians, economists, and the public to focus on these far-off competitors. Mulroney’s statement challenges this perspective. He points out that the largest volume of trade, the largest stake, and the most impactful partnership for the U.S. was, in fact, with its neighbor to the north, Canada.

This perspective serves several functions. It highlights the practical reality of North America’s integrated economies, bound by vast borders, shared infrastructure, language similarities, and long-standing peaceful cooperation. Mulroney directs attention away from abstract global anxieties and refocuses it on the pragmatic, mutually beneficial exchange taking place daily between Canada and the United States. These two counties share not only economic ties but deep cultural and historical relationships, making their partnership distinct and enduring.

Moreover, Mulroney’s statement reflects the policy context of his era, particularly relevant as he championed the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, a precursor to NAFTA. By drawing focus to the enormous trade relationship, he justified both the value and the necessity of closer economic integration. The remark invites a reconsideration of what constitutes economic importance, not always the farthest or most talked about counties, but those geographical and historical neighbors with whom nations are most intertwined.