Upstate NY Border Towns Fear 23% Traffic Drop as US-Canada Tariff Feud Deepens
Updated
Updated · Radio-Canada.ca · Sep 7
Upstate NY Border Towns Fear 23% Traffic Drop as US-Canada Tariff Feud Deepens
3 articles · Updated · Radio-Canada.ca · Sep 7
Summary
Upstate New York communities near Canada say the tariff fight and Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario are driving away Canadians and threatening lasting economic damage.
Ogdensburg Bridge traffic fell 23% in 2025 from 2024—about 136,000 fewer vehicles—while toll revenue dropped 35%, or roughly $536,000, local officials said.
Tourism officials in the Thousand Islands and Sackets Harbor said Canadian spending and crossings slid after Trump’s re-election, raising fears that, as after 9/11 and COVID-19, volumes may never fully recover.
Residents are split: some back Trump’s tariffs as a way to level trade, while others cite higher grocery costs and regret their vote.
Republican Assemblyman Scott Gray said tariffs and counter-tariffs are disruptive and urged a fair trade deal without the animosity that is straining long-close border ties.
With Canadian visits plummeting and goodwill damaged, will upstate New York's border economy ever fully recover from this historic cross-border freeze?
Could the escalating tariff war permanently sever the deeply integrated supply chains that both U.S. and Canadian industries rely on for survival?
As digital maps divide reality by showing Lake America to some and Lake Ontario to others, how will this alter cross-border identity?