Billion Dollar Gift and Mutual Aid

The Billion Dollar Gift and Mutual Aid were financial incentives instituted by Canada's C. D. Howe during World War II.

Due to its expenditure on war materiel, Britain lacked reserves of gold and U.S. dollars, to pay for the placed and future orders with Canadian industry. At the same time, following expansion Canadian industry was dependent on British contracts and pre-war had had a positive balance of trade with the UK but with the establishment of Lend-Lease the UK might place future orders with the US. The Billion Dollar Gift was given in January 1942, coupled with a C$700 million no-interest loan, both anticipated to last just over a year. It did not last until the end of 1942. It was replaced in May 1943 with the "War Appropriation (United Nations Mutual Aid) Act, 1943" which provided for aid to the UK and the other Allies and lasted until the end of the war. The magnitude of these contributions made them one of Canada's greatest contributions to the war effort. The two grants totalled over C$3 billion.

Rather than simply money, Canada provided materiel and services, including things like food, ammunition, and raw materials, as well as things like corvettes, Park ships, & radar sets,  most of which went to the Commonwealth; some, like radars, also went to the U.S.   In 1943, Canada had the fourth-highest industrial production among the Allies, led by the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom.

Canada also loaned $1.2 billion on a long-term basis to Britain immediately after the war; these loans were fully repaid in late 2006.