The strained relationship between the U.S. and Canada continues to take a toll on land crossings at the border.
The monthly figures released last week by U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed a significant year-to-year drop in travellers crossing the land border in April. There were 2,931,575 crossings in April, a decline from 3,869,866 in April 2024.
That accounts for a decline of 24.2 per cent year-to-year, an apparent consequence of the current trade war between the two close neighbours and allies.
The April numbers were also down from the 3,183,009 travellers who crossed the land border in March.
Travellers are defined by the CBP as individuals entering the U.S. on foot, by private vehicle, or by truck. Conveyances are defined as the vehicles themselves.
The decline is just as glaring in Detroit, the busiest port of entry on the northern border. CBP figures showed that 549,027 travellers entered the U.S. via the Ambassador Bridge or Windsor-Detroit Tunnel in April, down from 647,331 for the same month in 2024, a 15.2 per cent year-to-year drop. Traffic was also down month-to-month.
Truck traffic in Detroit was also down significantly in April, with only 93,192 commercial vehicles making the trip. That's down from 129,100 in April 2024, and from 108,000 in March of this year.
Meanwhile, it was the same story at the Blue Water Bridge. There were 214,752 travellers who crossed during April, down from 241,007 in March, and down from 249,165 travellers in April 2024.
Truck traffic to Port Huron went down in April after bucking the trends and going up in March. There were 88,560 conveyances crossing this April, down from 97,538 in March. Truck crossings at the Blue Water Bridge did go up year-to-year, from 76,924 in April 2024.
The CBP's figures were current as of Sunday, May 4.