Number of B.C. drivers travelling to the U.S. drops for eighth consecutive month 

Travel across the border continues to decrease as President Donald Trump’s additional tariffs deter people from heading south.

British Columbia residents told CTV News they’re not inclined to visit their neighbors to the south.

“We’re going to boycott it,” said Kelowna resident Gary Desrosier, who works in the lumber industry.

Desrosier told CTV News the additional tariffs President Donald Trump issued earlier this week have played a large role in his decision to steer clear of travel across the border.

“Once he did that, I said, ‘Well, that’s it. I won’t be back until you’re not a president’,” Desrosier said.

Amid the political turmoil, Vancouver resident Kennedy Brown said she feels more safe and comfortable north of the border.

“There’s a lot going on down there that I just feel safer staying in Canada,” she said.

The numbers from Cascade Border Data Warehouse shows they’re not the only B.C. drivers who are of this opinion.

From February to September, the number of drivers crossing the Peace Arch, Pacific Highway, Lynden and Sumas Ports of entry have dropped.

In September, the numbers plunged 40 per cent.

Jennifer Bettis, the research manager at Border Policy Research Institute called these travel trends “unprecedented.”

“I was not expecting it to be so dramatic or so prolonged,” said Bettis.

She explained these trends could impact the state’s bottom line, “businesses in particular are going to have to look at their business models and adapt, or try to find a different way to make money.”

CTV News spoke to business owners in Blaine, Wash., who said that the travel trends haven’t yet impacted them, with some even noting an uptick in Canadian customers.

This could be attributed to the fact that Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Sept. 2 that Canada would be removing counter tariffs that were put in place in March.

Bettis said she doesn’t have a crystal ball, and the question still remains as to whether these travel trends will last.

“Only time will tell if this is going to be a permanent change, if this is going to just be a blip, and then we’ll be back to normal at some point,” she said.