Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump's tariff war is costing America crossings at the U.S.-Canadian border. He says data shows crossings are down 25% from a year ago in New York.
Schumer cites new data from CBP showing Upstate New York and Canada saw approximately 1,144,524 border crossings in May, compared to 1,520,424 during the same month in 2024, a nearly 25% decrease across land (both road and bridge) crossings frequented by tourists.
"As summer sizzles, Upstate New York tourism fizzles thanks to Trump’s reckless and damaging tariff war with Canada. Summer tourism season should be in full swing, but instead our small businesses and Main Streets are left sweating as reservations get cancelled & tourism from Canada continues to plummet," said Schumer in a statement.
"This new data shows again how it is Upstate New York families paying the price for Trump’s tariff war and his insults hurled at our top-trading partner, Canada. From Buffalo to Watertown to Plattsburgh, our shops, hotels, restaurants, and thousands of good-paying jobs rely on summer tourism for success. New York House Republicans know Trump’s tariff war with Canada is hurting our communities, but even as the numbers show how badly this is hurting our businesses and jobs they refuse to act. House Republicans need to pass the bipartisan resolution the Senate has already acted on to end Trump’s destructive trade war with Canada, helping to restore our cherished friendly relationship with our next-door neighbor and major economic partner."
Schumer says Trump has damaged the United States’ relationship with Canada by threatening to annex Canada and levying 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. He adds this new data on major reductions in border crossings for the second month in a row shows Trump’s threats to annex Canada and tariff Canadian goods are directly impacting commerce between the two countries, including Canadian tourism across New York State.