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Loss of B.C. shoppers a $64 million hit for Washington State border towns
Border-policy researchers say shopping visits fell 71% and Canadian spending dropped to $91 million, shifting cross-border trips toward recreation and family visits.
- Businesses in Washington State's Whatcom County lost in the range of $64 million from 2024 to 2025 as fewer Canadians drove south for retail purchases, according to a Western Washington University Border Policy Research Institute report.
- Canadian shopping visits plummeted following what the study described as a ' backlash to the Trump Administration's imposition of tariffs and threats of annexation,' reversing the rebound seen in 2024.
- The 'Whatcom County's Cross-Border Retail Economy' study shows Canadian shopping visits are down 71 percent, while personal vehicle crossings fell about 35 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024.
- Roughly 510,000 Canadians visited primarily for shopping in 2025, down from 1.8 million in 2019, as travelers increasingly prioritize recreation and family visits over purchasing merchandise or gas.
- BPRI director Laurie Trautman noted 'a lot of concern' regarding economic fallout, adding it is a 'very strange time' in Canada-U relations affecting border communities like Lynden, across from Aldergrove.
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left12Leaning Right0Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Left
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources lean Left
100% Left
L 100%
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