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Assignment 1: Contemporary Trends in the Structure of Canada’s International Trade

Assignment 1: Contemporary Trends in the Structure of Canada’s International Trade. GEOG 2210: Spatial Organization of Economic Activity Presented: October 4, 2005. Summary. Goals of the Assignment:

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Assignment 1: Contemporary Trends in the Structure of Canada’s International Trade

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  1. Assignment 1: Contemporary Trends in the Structure of Canada’s International Trade GEOG 2210: Spatial Organization of Economic Activity Presented: October 4, 2005

  2. Summary • Goals of the Assignment: • to expose you to three techniques in the geographer’s ‘toolbox’: data capture, data manipulation and graphic presentation, and data analysis • to examine trends in Canada’s International trade (and compare Canada’s trade to that of the U.S., as portrayed in your course textbook)

  3. Important Details • Value: 20% • Scope: 1000 words + figures • Due: Thursday, October 20, 2005

  4. Source of help: • Teaching Assistant: Faye Nelson • Contact information: • Office: A518 • E-mail: nelsfe@uleth.ca | Phone: 332-5201 • Office hours: October 12-20, Monday-Friday, 10am-12pm or by appointment

  5. PHASE I: DATA CAPTURE 1. 3. 2.

  6. E-Stat 5. 4. 6.

  7. Cansim 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Search on ‘exports’…

  8. Table 228-0003 12.

  9. Subset selection 13. Select Balance of payments 14. Select major commodity groups 1-5 – both imports and exports 15. Time series: 1971-2004.

  10. Output: CSV file, time as columns SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

  11. Phase II: MS Excel • Seven graphs • Canada’s overall merchandise trade, 1971-2004 • Variables: Value over time • Series: Total Imports, Total Exports and Trade Balance • Canada’s trade structure in 1971 and in 2004 (2 graphs) • Variables: Value, grouped by commodity group • Series: Imports, Exports, Balance • Canadian trade in … (4 graphs) • Variables: Value of commodity group trade over time • Series: Imports, Exports, Balance - Need to download additional data!

  12. 1. Overall merchandise trade 2004

  13. Calculating Total Imports & Total Exports Calculate values Insert rows

  14. Trade balance = Total Exports – Total Imports

  15. Chart Wizard step 1 2. • Select the data series (spreadsheet values that are used in the chart). • Click on the Chart Wizard button. • Select the type of chart (e.g. Line). • Click on Next. 1. 3. 4.

  16. Chart Wizard step 2

  17. Chart Wizard step 3 Label axes!

  18. Combined charts • Highlight trade balance series by right clicking on it • Chart type > Column

  19. Formatting plot area • The grey plot area is unnecessary… • Right click on plot area • Select Format Plot Area • Area: none

  20. 2. Commodity structure • Create new spreadsheet arrangement • Highlight cells • Click on Chart Wizard…

  21. 3. Commodity groups • Go back and retrieve Imports and Exports data from E-Stat on • Live animals • Aircraft engines, assemblies and parts • Passenger automobiles and chassis • Trucks and other motor vehicles • Farm machinery, incl tractors • Rearrange spreadsheet, calculate balances, create line graphs (with trade balance as column-type bar graph)… Road vehicles

  22. PHASE III: DATA ANALYSIS • Three questions (Note: #2 has three parts) • In order to answer the questions you will need… • All seven graphs from Phase II • Your textbook • Possibly some further background information (e.g. relevant and reliable web sites)

  23. Questions • 1. Using your text book’s account of the U.S. trade deficit as a starting point, describe Canada’s overall balance of trade over this same period. • 2. Describe Canada’s changing commodity structure in relation to that of the U.S.. In which commodities does Canada seem to have greater reliance as an exporter and in which commodities is Canada a larger importer? Do these broad patterns seem consistent with your expectations under the theory of Comparative Advantage and the Heckscher-Ohlin theory? • 3. Describe the principal trends for each of the four commodity groups graphed in Phase II(3). What are the main factors influencing these trends?

  24. Tips on earning an “A” “Mechanics” of an “A” assignment: • Graphs are complete (show required relationships) and easy to read. Variables are labeled (incl. units). Legends are brief. • All graphs are referred to in the text of the assignment (e.g. …an upward trend (Fig.1).) • Graphs have brief captions and the source of the data is referenced (e.g. Source: Statistics Canada, 2005; Cansim Table 228-0003).

  25. Tips on earning an “A”, continued. • Questions are answered in complete sentences with no spelling or grammar mistakes. Thoughts/data that are not your own are referenced. • 1000 words • See: http://people.uleth.ca/~maclachlan/General/Style_Guide.htm

  26. Tips on earning an “A”, continued. “Quality of thought” • Thoroughly analyze your graphs (trends, changes in value) • Incorporate information from course textbook and other sources where necessary (remember to cite sources) but also demonstrate your own thinking! • Compare/contrast

  27. Source of help: • Teaching Assistant: Faye Nelson • Contact information: • Office: A518 • E-mail: nelsfe@uleth.ca | Phone: 332-5201 • Office hours: October 12-20, Monday-Friday, 10am-12pm or by appointment

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