Between 1983 and 2004, the value of exports (in inflation adjusted dollars) from Atlantic Canada increased by an average of nearly five per cent per year. Over the same 20+ year timeframe, the economy expanded by an average of 2.6 per cent per year (real GDP). Since then, between 2005 and 2021, the value of exports in real terms has declined and real GDP growth has dropped to an average of only 1.0% per year across the region. On this week’s Insight’s podcast Don and David talk to Dr. Herb Emery about the importance of the export economy and explore whether or not the region can get back to a moderate level of economic growth without growth in exports. The conversation covers a wide variety of topics from the role of international trade agreements and interprovincial trade to the impact the current shortage of workers is having on the region’s exporters. Emery is one of the top thinkers on economic and demographic topics in our region and makes a strong case for a greater focus on exports and on creating a positive business environment for companies that compete in global markets.

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