The Detroit/Toledo/Windsor trade corridor stands ready to assist you with moving goods throughout the Midwest. The region has the capacity, skills and world-class infrastructure to move products effectively and efficiently throughout the Midwest and North America. In 2009, Michigan ranked as the ninth largest exporting state in the U.S.
Airports in the Detroit region offer nonstop flights to more than 160 destinations. Wayne County’s Detroit Metropolitan Airport serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines. Four of the seven Class I railroads operating more than 3,600 miles of track can access all North American markets. The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest land border crossing in North America.
Serving Over 200 Countries on Every Continent, the Detroit/Windsor border is the richest border in the world with more than $300 million in trade crossing each day.
Economic Impact of the Detroit/Windsor Border
- U.S. trade with Canada averages $1.5 billion per day, more than the U.S. trade with the entire European Union.
- Michigan accounts for more than 50 percent of the U.S. trade with Canada, with almost all of that handled in Detroit and Port Huron.
- In 2008, Canadians and Michigan residents crossed the border almost 2.8 million times.
- In 2007, approximately 3,500 Canadian health care workers commuted across the border for work daily.
- In 2008, the Detroit metropolitan statistical area exported $44.5 billion, accounting for more than 70 percent of Michigan’s total merchandise exports.
Source: Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration.
Logistics Advantages
The Detroit/Toledo/Windsor trade corridor has a unique advantage as an international trade corridor boasting trade cooperation on both sides of the Detroit River. The Detroit port sits 988 miles from Halifax and 618 miles from Montreal, making the Detroit region ideal for entering into the United States and moving goods throughout the Midwest. In addition, Detroit has excellent west coast linkage with Prince Rupert in British Columbia.
New and expanding companies need a well connected and efficient transportation system. The Detroit region serves as the busiest northern border crossing into Canada and sits along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The region is centrally located in one of the largest economic and trade corridors, moving more than $197 billion in 2008 through its borders. The region is home to a world class transportation, logistics and distribution center. Regional Detroit businesses exported more than $40 billion in goods in 2011.
Michigan Top 5 Exports by Product
| NAICS | Product | 2011 |
| 336 | Transportation Equipment | $24,958,540,053 |
| 333 | Machinery, Except Electrical | $4,612,333,836 |
| 331 | Primary Metal Manufacturers | $2,975,277,725 |
| 334 | Computer & Electronic Products | $2,637,901,778 |
| 332 | Fabricated Metal Procducts, NESOI | $1,685,564,616 |
| TOTAL | $40,168,240,089 |
Source: International Trade Administration.
Michigan Exports by Country
| Country | 2011 |
| Canada | $23,577,576,848 |
| Mexico | $8,964,673,647 |
| China | $2,687,599,025 |
| Germany | $1,798,822,226 |
| Japan | $1,337,389,368 |
| Saudi Arabia | $1,160,158,389 |
| South Korea | $970,769,277 |
| Brazil | $759,922,650 |
| United Kingdom | $700,033,364 |
| Australia | $699,526,057 |
| World | $51,003,027,609 |
Source: International Trade Administration.
Total Trade by Mode, 2011 Value and Rank
In 2011, more than $200 billion in goods traveled across regional Detroit’s borders. The Ambassador Bridge (Detroit) and Blue Water Bridge (Port Huron) handle, on average, more than 11,000 trucks per day.
| Mode | Detroit Total Trade ($ millions) | Port Huron Total Trade ($ millions) |
| Truck | $98,678.00 | $47,749.00 |
| Rail | $21,296.00 | $26,212.00 |
| Pipeline | $9,027.00 | |
| Air | $33.00 | $3.4 |
| All Modes | $120,938.00 | $83,021.00 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation.
