- Canada border crossings into the U.S. have hit pandemic-era lows. In February 2025, crossings for cars, pedestrians, and trucks decreased.
- The decline in crossings comes amid increased tensions between the U.S. and Canada regarding tariffs.
- President Donald Trump said another round of retaliatory tariffs will be implemented on April 2.
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The tariff war between the U.S. and Canada has affected cross-border travel between the two countries. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canada-U.S. border crossings fell to pandemic-era levels, decreasing from 2.7 million in February 2024 to 2.2 million in February 2025.
How has the number of crossings changed over the years?
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that the U.S.-Canadian border saw the lowest number of travelers driving into the U.S. from Canada since COVID-19 measures eased in April 2022.
President Donald Trump recently imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products coming in from Canada. The northern nation retaliated against the U.S. with its own tariff increases on American goods, totaling $21 billion.
The number of cross-border travelers entering the U.S. from Canada increased in October, November and December of 2024 as well as January 2025 compared to the same months a year earlier.
However, the significant decline took place in February 2025, Trump’s first full month as president, coinciding with the tariff issue becoming a central focus.
How have people who live along the border responded?
Immigration lawyer Len Saunders, who resides in the border town of Blaine, Washington, directly across from British Columbia, told CBC that it is evident that Canadians are no longer frequenting places like Costco and Trader Joe’s on the American side.
He believes that the tariffs, the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state and concerns about immigration enforcement have deterred Canadians.
What about other types of crossings?
The number of truck driver crossings decreased year over year, dropping from 493,000 in February 2024 to 473,000 in 2025.
Foot traffic has also decreased. The number of pedestrians crossing from Canada into the U.S. fell from 117,000 in February 2024 to 99,000 in February 2025.
What’s next for the tariff issue?
Trump vowed additional retaliatory tariffs against Canada, saying they will go into effect on April 2.
