The Sugar Maple is one of the most important Canadian trees, being (with Black Maple) the major source of sap for making maple syrup; Sugar Maple being regarded as slightly better. Many maples can be used as a sap source for maple syrup, but none of the others are as good as these two. It can yield 2 pounds of sugar a year and can be productive for a century. It is the national tree of Canada. Maples can also be used for furniture, veneers, floorings, shoe lasts, tool handles and musical instruments.

The wood is one of the hardest and densest of the maples, and is prized for furniture and flooring. Bowling alleys and bowling pins are both commonly manufactured from sugar maple. Trees with wavy wood grain, which can occur in curly, quilted and “birdseye maple” form, are especially valued. Maple is also the wood used for basketball courts, including the floors used by the NBA, and it is a popular wood for baseball bats, along with white ash.