Removing barriers to trade between provinces and territories could add up to $200 billion to Canada’s economy, while Alberta’s separation could create costly new divisions, according to a report by University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe. Commissioned by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, the report describes economic ties between Alberta and the rest of Canada.

Using federal estimates, Tombe said eliminating interprovincial trade barriers and improving labour mobility could increase Canada’s gross domestic product by an estimated $5,100 per person. More than $500 billion in goods and services already cross provincial and territorial borders each year.

The report found that exports to other provinces support 330,000 Alberta jobs, about 13 per cent of the provincial workforce. Those exports generate $78 billion in income for local workers and businesses, with most tied to transportation, manufacturing, hospitality and agriculture. Alberta trade also supports roughly 800,000 jobs elsewhere in Canada.

“Internal trade barriers have long plagued our economy, compromised our productivity and prevented us from being our own best customer,” Calgary Chamber president and CEO Deborah Yedlin said in a statement. “At a time when Canadian businesses are confronting new barriers abroad, reducing barriers between provinces and territories is increasingly important to strengthening Canada’s economic resilience.”

“Alberta’s economic strength is built on our ability to trade freely with customers and businesses across Canada,” Yedlin said. “Our focus should be on removing the obstacles that stand in the way of this trade, not creating new ones.”

Separately, the pro-independence Alberta Transition Council (ATC) released two costed reports that it says show Alberta could afford to become an independent country. Both were authored by ATC co-lead Dennis Kalma and estimate that the transition would cost roughly $5 billion over three years.

The council’s fiscal model estimates that Alberta would have an annual surplus of $22.2 billion to $32.1 billion after taking on federal responsibilities and operating costs. Under scenarios with higher debt-servicing costs, lower corporate taxes and further borrowing, the projected surplus falls to between $8.7 billion and $18.6 billion.

The ATC reports do not account for possible effects on international trade agreements, employment opportunities or expanded market access if Alberta became independent. Kalma described the figures as “narrow fiscal estimates,” rather than an economic forecast.

Based on reporting by CTV News Calgary.