Canadian boycott of U.S. hitting border states hard: Congressional report
CBC
The drop in Canadian tourism to the United States in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's actions is hurting American businesses in several states, a new report by a congressional committee has found.
The report, prepared by the Democrat minority of the U.S. Congress's joint economic committee, warns that states along the Canada-U.S. border are being hit hard.
"In 2024, Canadian tourism contributed $20.5 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 140,000 American jobs," wrote the authors of the report. "The negative impacts of President Trump's tariff policies have been particularly stark in states along the U.S.-Canada border, which have many businesses that rely on short-term visits by Canadians."
The report also cites Trump's comments about annexing Canada, rounds of tariffs on Canadian goods and his decision to repeatedly break off trade talks.
"This has disrupted diplomatic, economic and trade relations between the United States and Canada — which in turn has hurt U.S. businesses that depend on visitors from Canada," it says.
The report says the number of passenger vehicles crossing the border between January and October dropped by nearly 20 per cent compared with 2024, with declines ranging from more than 10 per cent in Alaska to more than 28 per cent in Vermont.
"Businesses throughout the region are also reporting fewer tourists, more vacancies and lower sales," says the report.
The joint economic committee, set up in 1946 to study economic policy, is composed of both senators and members of the House of Representatives. It includes both Republicans and Democrats, with each side regularly publishing reports that don't include the other.
The committee's reports inform members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives on economic questions.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, ranking member of the committee and a Democrat from New Hampshire, said the report documents the impact of Trump's actions.
"Going back for generations, Canadians have visited New Hampshire and many other states along the U.S.-Canada border to see family or friends, stay in our hotels, share a meal at our restaurants and shop at our stores," Hassan said in a statement.
"However, in the wake of President Trump's reckless tariffs and needless provocations, fewer and fewer Canadians are making trips to the United States, putting many American businesses in jeopardy and straining the close ties that bind our two nations."
Hassan was also part of a four-senator delegation that travelled to Ottawa in July where they met with Prime Minister Mark Carney and several Canadian cabinet ministers to discuss ways to repair relations between the two countries.
The committee's eight-page report, made public Wednesday, outlines the toll that the Canadian boycott of travel to the U.S. has taken on 11 U.S. border states, with state-by-state data and testimonials from a wide variety of business owners.
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The drop in Canadian tourism to the United States in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's actions is hurting American businesses in several states, a new report by a congressional committee has found.