A US senator is urging Washington to repair its relationship with Canada after tourism to his home state of Vermont fell 40%, according to CP24.
Democratic Sen. Peter Welch said the effects of the administration's trade policies have been felt across Vermont, citing examples of layoffs across local businesses.
"A lot of that has to do with the rhetoric that the president has used," he said. "We really value our relationship with Canada both emotionally and economically."
Welch made the remarks during a US Senate Finance Committee hearing on 22JUL, where several senators questioned US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer over tariffs following President Donald Trump's latest threats against Canada.
Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods in response to some provinces banning the sale of US liquor. The US president has also ruffled feathers by repeatedly suggesting Canada should become the "51st state."
Political friction has taken a toll on cross-border travel, as new figures show Canadian travel spending in the US fell by $3.3 billion in 2025, due to the "Buy Canadian" movement and many Canadians boycotting the US.
According to Statistics Canada, “Canadians shifted outbound leisure travel away from the United States (-21.5 per cent; -3.2 million visits) in favour of overseas options (+12.2 per cent; +1.1 million visits).”
“The United States has long been Canada’s primary international travel destination, partly because of its proximity and warmer climate,” Stat Can said in an article.
“Following the change in the U.S. administration in early 2025 and the implementation of America First policies, Canadians’ travel plans shifted abruptly.”
As Open Jaw has previously reported, cross-border travel to the US has declined for the last year and a half, largely due to ongoing political and trade tensions.
