5 days ago
Canadian bridge traffic down from last year
WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – Canadian border crossing at New York ports of entry have dropped by over 20-percent from last year according to Senator Charles Schumer's office.
In an announcement released on Wednesday, border crossings have dropped by around 290,000 according to the senator's office. Schumer said that tariff's imposed by President Donald Trump have caused a 'nose dive' in entries.
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According to statistics from Schumer's office, crossings at the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge saw the second-steepest decline percentage at 27.51-percent. Last year saw 43,945 entries, but that's down to 31,857.
The Thousands Islands Bridge also saw a drop of 20.2-percent from last year with 117,953 crossings. That number was 147,814 at this time last year.
The Seaway Bridge in Massena only saw a decrease of 1.91-percent 205,518 entries as opposed to 209,524 from last year.
According to Customs & Border Patrol (CBP), almost 290,000 fewer travelers crossed the Upstate New York-Canadian border last month than over the same period in 2024, a whopping 22% decrease.
Burning bridges and ruining relationships with our closest ally and key trading partner, Canada, right when summer tourism season is arriving, is about as destructive as it gets. Upstate NY is on the frontlines of Trump's destructive tariff war, and this shocking new data shows our tourism economy is paying the price from Buffalo to Ogdensburg.
United States Senator Charles Schumer
The announcement was made in conjunction with the start of summer tourism season occurring with recent passing of the Memorial Day holiday.
According to a recent North Country Chamber of Commerce survey, 66% of businesses are already experiencing a dip in Canadian bookings. Canada is the top source of international visitors to the U.S., with 20.4 million visits in 2024, generating $20.5 billion in spending and supporting 140,000 American jobs. Schumer said if there were even a 10-percent reduction in Canadian travel, it could mean as much as $2 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses across America.
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