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Sharp Decline in Canadian Cross-Border Trips to U.S Amid Strained Bilateral Relations – Image Credit Unsplash
- Nearly 500,000 fewer people traveled from Canada into the U.S. in February 2025 compared to the same month last year.
- The decline in travel is attributed to increased tariffs and political tensions, making Canadians less inclined to visit the U.S.
According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in February 2025, the number of travelers crossing the land border from Canada into the U.S. dropped significantly, nearly 500,000 fewer than in the same month in 2024. Such a decline in cross-border trips has not been seen since the COVID-19 era.
The number of travelers entering the U.S. in passenger vehicles, the most common mode of cross-border travel, fell from 2,696,512 in February 2024 to 2,223,408 in February 2025. This drop in cross-border travel is reportedly the lowest since the travel normalized post-COVID-19 era in April 2022.
The decline in cross-border travel coincides with President Donald Trump’s intensified trade war and increased annexationist rhetoric. The number of travelers heading to the U.S. from October to January was considerably higher than in the previous year. However, a clear break in this upward trend was seen in February when the President launched his trade war.
According to immigration lawyer Len Saunders, the decline in Canadian travelers is evident in border towns such as Blaine, Washington. The 51st state taunts, tariff threats, and reports of Canadians being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are all contributing factors to the decline.
Barbara Barrett, the executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association, described the travel decline as “catastrophic.” Sales at duty-free shops along the Canadian side of the land border are reportedly down about 80% compared to pre-2020 figures.
Apart from passenger vehicles, the CBP data also shows a decrease in the number of truck drivers making the cross-border trip, falling from 493,000 in February 2024 to 473,000 in 2025.
In response to President Trump’s trade war, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded with retaliatory tariffs and a call for Canadians to buy local products and travel within Canada. Trudeau encouraged people to “choose Canada” to send a signal to the White House that the country won’t stand for punishing tariffs that have the potential to harm the economy.
Discover more at CBC.
