Bellingham stores and restaurants once bustled with Canadian customers. Now, they look like ghost towns, comparatively. President Trump’s blitz of outrageous tariffs and scandalous comments toward Canada have Bellingham’s Canadian regulars staying home. Canadians are justified in giving the U.S. the cold shoulder. Americans, be warned; this isn’t temporary, and it’s going to leave a mark.
Many Canadians regularly cross the border for cheaper goods — or at least they used to.
According to Cascade Getaway, there was an average daily travel of 3,500 cars from B.C. to Washington through the Peace Arch border crossing this February. That’s compared to an average of 5,000 in Feb. 2024. That’s a 30% decrease.
You can feel it, too; things are just a little less crowded. Parking lots around here used to teem with B.C. license plates. Bellingham resident El De Jesus plays a game with their friends where they punch each other if they see an out-of-state license plate. De Jesus said they had to add a rule that B.C. plates don’t count solely because there are so many when they go to Target.
The Target at Bellis Fair also has a reputation as catnip for Canadians. De Jesus said it’s unreasonably busy.
“It’s the closest one to Canada, I think, so all the people from Canada go there — packed,” De Jesus said. “Usually, the lines aren’t that bad, but the sheer amount of people — oh my gosh.”
Plenty of Bellingham locals complain about the Canadians. But Jennifer Bettis, the research and program manager for the Border Policy Research Institute, said that loud voices have bad attitudes.
“Most people here are pretty welcoming of our Canadian neighbors because they bring a huge amount of money into our economy,” said Bettis. “Overall, the attitude is very positive from Americans, even if they’re annoyed over the parking lot situation.”
Silver lining: At least locals won’t find Bellingham stores quite as crowded anymore. Bellinghamster Alyssa Eggers said she’s only been to the Trader Joe’s on James Street once and won’t return because of how busy it was.
“It was honestly not a great experience,” Eggars said. “There were a ton of people; it was kind of chaotic.”
But that was before the tariffs. Now, things are different. As U.S.-Canada relations continue to erode, it will become easier and easier to find a parking spot at Trader Joe’s.
Numbers are down for a reason: Trump’s tariffs. Trump’s comments and the crummy exchange rates have some Canadians opting to spend their money at home.
This has already hit local businesses. There are certain businesses, especially in Blaine and Port Roberts, that are extremely reliant on Canadians.
According to Cascadia Daily News, business at the Peace Arch City Cafe & Bar in Blaine, Wash., is down almost 30%. This is just the beginning.
What our American brains may fail to consider, however, is back when Canadians visited Bellingham in droves, Canadian local businesses suffered. When Canadians spent money on this side of the border, it weakened small businesses in Canadian border towns. Now, it’s our turn.
The case of Bellingham’s missing Canadians is just one freckle on the face of a much larger movement. Many Canadians have pledged to “Buy Canadian,” purchasing only Canadian products.
Dylan Lobo, the owner of Made in CA, said over email that the “Buy Canadian” movement wasn’t widely recognized before Trump.
“Once he started talking about tariffs, there was a visible shift. Traffic to our site spiked, and interest in Canadian-made products surged,” Lobo said.
Made in CA is a grassroots initiative started in 2018 that compiles lists of products and services made in Canada. Lobo said the traffic on Made in CA grew within days of Trump’s statements.
“Canadians responded by actively seeking out local alternatives. Something I hadn’t seen on this scale before,” Lobo said.
There was a bit of Buy Canadian energy when Trump imposed tariffs on Canada in 2018. Bettis said 2018 was a temporary blip compared to 2025.
“The energy is a little bit different this time around,” Bettis said. “Canadians are a lot more angry about what’s been going on.”
Washington and B.C. have close ties, so Bettis hopes tensions will subside. Either way, there will be collateral damage.
Fewer people are traveling between Canada and Washington State than before COVID-19.
“We’re already starting on lower footing than we would like to be,” Bettis said.
Canadians who betray the boycott will be sorry to hear about the 25% surtax Canada will make them pay for their American purchases at the border. Buy Canadian isn’t just a social movement. The Canadian government is with them.
Buy Canada’s sibling, “Go Canada,” has Canadians boycotting travel to the U.S. The impact is already here. The U.S.’s top three airlines, Delta, American and United, all issued warnings last week about a dip in Canadian traffic. Porter Airlines, Canada’s third-largest airline, is lessening promotions for U.S. destinations because some Canadians may view it negatively, the Daily Hive reports.
Trump’s tariff train began on Feb. 1 when he announced 25% tariffs on all Canadian products (except energy products, which are tariffed at 10%). Tariffs went into effect on March 4. Two days later, Trump delayed tariffs on most goods until April 2. Too little, too late; the tariffs were a slap in the face to Canadians, and pausing them doesn’t fix it.
On March 11, Trump declared on Truth Social he would double tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel from 25% to 50%, writing, “This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING.” Trump was responding to Ontario’s retaliatory 25% electricity tax on the U.S. Ontario backed off the 25% tax after Trump’s social media meltdown, and Trump dropped his threats — for now. Canadians worry Trump will raise the tariffs on a whim, for real this time.
Adding insult to injury, Trump pairs his tariffs with insults an opinion article from the Toronto Star calls “...the demented ramblings of an old man.” Trump won’t stop talking about making Canada “the 51st state”. Those remarks are frightening coming from the one person who might actually go for it, and Canadians are rightfully alarmed.
Fanning the flame, starting April 11, Canadians visiting the U.S. for more than 30 days must complete an alien registration form and be fingerprinted. Canadians younger than 14 don’t need to be fingerprinted, but they do need to register. Fingerprinting Canadians like they’re under arrest isn’t very welcoming. It’s no wonder they’ve stopped coming.
Hope Rasa (she/her) is a city news reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a second-year Western student majoring in news/editorial journalism. She enjoys running, hiking, reading and spending time with her cat. You can reach her at hoperasa.thefront@gmail.com.
