Albertan Independence: A Long and Winding Trade Road Ahead

An independent Alberta would face significant challenges in securing stable access to the US market and navigating global trade agreements, according to C.D. Howe Institute's Lawrence Herman.

Herman writes that as a small landlocked country of five million people, Alberta would be confronting the United States, which has an economy of over 350 million people.

The newly formed country would have to negotiate its way in under international law and face complex trade agreements with other countries, including the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (CUSMA).

Herman notes that Alberta's oil reserves give it some leverage, but the terms of access to the US market would not be automatic.