Cross-border travel chill remains: StatCan

The plunge in cross-border travel between Canada and the U.S. this year continued in June, according to preliminary data from Statistics Canada.

The national statistical agency reported that the volume of Canadians returning from the U.S. by car was down 33.1% in June, and return trips by air were down 22.1%, compared with the same month in 2024.

The drop-off in U.S. residents crossing the border into Canada was less dramatic, with the number of trips by car down 10.4% in June from a year ago. Airport traffic held up better, with the number of U.S. arrivals by air down just 0.7% from last year.

The decline in cross-border travel arose in the wake of the U.S. trade war and verbal attacks from the new U.S. administration on Canada’s sovereignty.

While Canadian travellers have turned away from the U.S., they’ve continued to travel overall, with return trips from non-U.S. countries rising 7.3% in June, the data showed.

Arrivals to Canada from countries other than the U.S. were also flat with the previous year, Statistics Canada reported.

James Langton

James is a senior reporter for Advisor.ca and its sister publication, Investment Executive. He has been reporting on regulation, securities law, industry news and more since 1994.