Canada's consul general in Atlanta, Stephen Brereton, visited Alabama's capital to promote increased trade and garner support for the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Brereton told Alabama legislators Tuesday that Canada has been Alabama's top trading partner for the last four years. That included nearly $3.9 billion in exports to Canada last year. More than half of that was in vehicles and vehicle parts. Brereton says Canadian companies with operations in Alabama provide nearly 10,000 jobs.
The consul general also promoted construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from western Canada to Texas. He named Alabama companies that could be suppliers for construction of the pipeline. Republican state Rep. Howard Sanderford of Huntsville told the consul general that the state of Alabama supports the project.