37,000 fewer trips from eastern Ontario to New York State in August

the Ogdensburg-Prescott international bridge. Wed. Nov. 17, 2021. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

There were approximately 37,000 fewer trips across the Canada-U.S. border from eastern Ontario to New York State in August, the seventh straight month with a decline in cross-border trips.

Statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection show there were 166,000 conveyances at the U.S. border locations at Alexandria Bay, Ogdensburg and Massena in August, down from 203,000 trips in August 2024.

There were 163,000 conveyances at the three U.S. border locations in July (197,000 conveyances in July 2024) and 147,000 trips to the U.S. border in New York State in June (173,000 trips in June 2024).

The data shows the Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting Alexandria Bay, New York and Lansdowne, Ont. continues to see the biggest drop in cross-border trips each month. There were 71,000 conveyances in August, down from 89,300 trips in August 2024. There were 19,000 fewer conveyances from eastern Ontario to Alexandria Bay in July and 15,000 fewer trips in June.

There were 24,000 conveyances at the Ogdensburg, New York border crossing across the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge in August, down from 34,300 trips in August 2024. There were 21,911 conveyances at the U.S. land border in Ogdensburg in July, down from 29,500 trips in July 2024.

At the land border crossings from Cornwall and Akwesasne to Massena, New York, there were 71,200 conveyances in August, down from 79,200 trips to Massena in August 2024. Officials reported 74,000 land border crossings from eastern Ontario to Massena in July, down from 81,600 conveyances at the U.S. border crossing in July 2024.

There have been fewer trips across the Canada-U.S. border from eastern Ontario to New York State every month since February amid the tariff war between Canada and the United States, the low Canadian dollar and anger over U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state.