Canadian Travel to the U.S. Drops Sharply as Trade Tensions Rise
Canada’s travel industry has recorded a significant fall in visits to the United States this year, with data showing a 23 percent decline during the first seven months compared to the same period in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Analysts suggest that the downturn follows growing friction over trade policies and repeated remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump proposing that Canada could avoid tariffs by joining the United States as its 51st state.
The idea, which many Canadians found offensive, has reportedly led to widespread trip cancellations. During his recent meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, Trump acknowledged the tourism decline but expressed optimism that travel between the two nations would improve once trade negotiations conclude successfully.
“I understand what’s happening, and it will be resolved. There’s still great friendship between the countries,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press. He added that American workers want manufacturing to remain domestic, describing it as a natural competition between two closely linked economies.
Trump’s repeated suggestions that Canada could become part of the U.S. have frustrated many Canadians. Despite this, he maintained that the relationship remains strong, stating, “The people of Canada, they will love us again. Most of them already do.” Prime Minister Carney responded that the situation is temporary and predicted that Canadians would eventually return in large numbers.
Carney’s trip to Washington marked his second visit to the Oval Office, ahead of next year’s scheduled review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). The trade partnership, established during Trump’s first term, has been under strain due to tariff threats and talk of annexation.
Trump indicated that he is open to either renegotiating and extending the USMCA or pursuing separate bilateral deals with Canada and Mexico. The existing agreement allows most goods from both countries to enter the U.S. duty-free, but Trump has suggested he wants new terms that give the United States a stronger economic advantage.
Despite the friction, Trump noted that he has a good personal rapport with Carney — something he said he did not share with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “We want Canada to do very well,” Trump remarked, “but at the same time, we also want to secure our own business interests.”