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The U.S. and Canada have become the world's two dominant pork-exporting countries over the last 34 years, accounting for over 40 percent of world pork trade in 2003. Over that period, a generally weak real Canadian dollar (adjusted for inflation) has helped Canadian pork exports. In general, Canadian pork exports have increased more rapidly than U.S. pork exports during periods characterized by a weak Canadian dollar (1977-86; 1992-2002), and U.S. pork exports have increased more rapidly than Canadian exports during periods of a strong Canadian dollar (1971-76; 1987-91; 2003-04).