30 per cent drop in travellers arriving from N.B. at Maine border in June: U.S. agency

Data shows fewer Maritimers are crossing the international border in New Brunswick.

The number of travellers arriving at Maine border crossings from New Brunswick dropped 30 per last month compared to June 2024, according to new numbers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protections agency.

The data shows 178,704 travellers (counted as passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and trucks) crossed into Maine from New Brunswick last month, compared to 254,603 travellers the same month last year – amounting to 75,899 fewer travellers.

A breakdown of the data at Maine’s three busiest land border crossings shows:

• Calais

June 2025: 65,719

June 2024: 97,251

• Houlton

June 2025: 28,693

June 2024: 42,673

• Madawaska

June 2025: 28,759

June 2024: 40,093

The new numbers continue a downward trend in cross-border traffic, which began in January when U.S. President Donald Trump’s 51st state rhetoric grew more frequent.

Early calls for Canadians to avoid U.S. travel haven’t waned.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Trump felt Canada was “nasty” to deal with because of the boycotts on stateside travel, as well as American alcohol.

Last month, Maine Governor Janet Mills visited New Brunswick to convey a message that Canadians were welcome in the state. Mills ordered new ‘Welcome/Bienvenue Canadians/Canadiens’ signs to be posted at border crossings and tourist destinations.

According to Maine’s department of tourism, about 800,000 Canadians visited the state last year, putting $500 million U.S. into the economy.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.