"What Are You Doing Here?"

Issue 12.14

April 10, 2026

CANADA IS PART OF DELAWARE'S VALUE CHAIN

By Tom Clark

As the Consul General of Canada in New York, I’m often asked, “What are you doing here?” It’s the kind of question where interpretation (and inflection) matters. I’ve learned to interpret the query as arising not out of suspicion — “What are you doing here?” — but out of curiosity: “Why is Canada interested in Delaware? Why should Delaware be interested in Canada?”

And I’m always happy to answer, given how important our bilateral relationship is and how deep our economic and people-to-people ties go. Especially at a time when national politics and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement review dominate headlines, it’s valuable to zoom in with a more local focus. Read more >

EPISODE 30 | DELAWARE & CANADA:

INTEGRATED ECONOMIES

FEATURING CONSUL GENERAL TOM CLARK

Canada is Delaware’s top export market, making the economic relationship between the First State and our northern neighbor deeper than many people realize. In this episode, Kelly sits down with Canada’s Consul General in New York, Tom Clark, to discuss the growing importance of state-level relationships, the role of the Consul General, and how the Canada-Delaware partnership supports economic growth, trade, and opportunity on both sides of the border.

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DELAWARE AND CANADA BY THE NUMBERS

Delaware exports approximately $1.2 billion in goods and services to Canada annually, while imports from Canada exceed $1.4 billion each year. Trade with Canada supports 38,300 jobs across the state, in addition to the 6,600 employees working for 90 Canadian-owned companies in Delaware. Learn more >

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

One of the most significant industries in our state is agriculture. ... For the moment, let me focus on row crops and how disruptions to energy supplies will undoubtedly have ripple effects across the economy. Corn, soybeans, and many other crops grown in Delaware are fertilizer-dependent. There are a few broad categories of fertilizer, but among the most important for corn and soybeans are nitrogen fertilizers such as urea, ammonia, and ammonium nitrate — all of which are made from natural gas. Soybeans primarily require potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, with potash playing a very important role as well. Western Canada is a major source of this critical resource. Read more >

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