Congressional Report Details Sharp Drop in Canadian Tourism to U.S.

A December 2025 report from the Joint Economic Committee's Democratic minority found that passenger vehicle crossings from Canada into the U.S. fell nearly 20 percent from January through October 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, with some states seeing declines above 25 percent. The report ties the drop to Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods, his repeated suggestions that Canada should become a U.S. state, and broken-off trade talks with Ottawa.

Businesses in border states reported fewer visitors, more hotel vacancies, and reduced sales; New Hampshire saw a 30 percent drop in Canadian visitors and a 71 percent decline in state campground reservations, while Montana, where Canadians made up nearly 80 percent of international visitors, saw significant revenue losses. Areas most exposed to Canadian tourism showed measurably lower local employment by mid-2025.

The episode illustrates an economic cost of the administration's confrontational posture toward Canada — a close trading partner and historically reliable source of tourism revenue for numerous U.S. states.