The longest unguarded border in the world runs between the United States and Canada. Well, excluding a few spots that where there are official border crossings, of course. It is a testament to the long relationship between the two countries. They are allies, trading partners, and vacation in each other's backyards on a regular basis. This has been true for a long time. Unfortunately, that relationship has soured quickly in recent months.
Canada is but one of many targets of the Trump Administration. Threats of tariffs, trade wars, and even the potential annexation of Canada by the United States have had a massive impact. Canadians are canceling trips to the United States in droves, planning to travel in their own country or to other international destinations. Admittedly, the Canadian dollar being weak in comparison to the American dollar certainly isn't helping that situation, either.
This was exemplified during the recent Family Day Weekend in Canada. British Colombia border crossings into the United States saw drastic declines from previous years. The Peace Arch crossing in particular reported a 45% decline from the same weekend in 2024. Overall, 40% fewer BC residents made the crossing into the United States when averaged out across all checkpoints and over each day of the long weekend. That amounts to a decline in the thousands of vehicles.
Local communities on the US side of the border across the country have been voicing concerns for weeks. While it's too early to tell what the long-term economic impacts will be, some American hotels and retailers are already seeing declines comparable to the COVID shutdowns. That may change if Trump's rhetoric softens and relations between the two countries start to normalize, again. Until that point, the $20 billion Canadians spend on US travel will likely continue to decline.