SCHUMER REVEALS: AS SUMMER SEASON KICKS OFF, TRUMP’S TARIFF WAR SLAMS UPSTATE NY - CANADIAN BORDER CROSSINGS PLUNGE NEARLY 290,000 & PLUMMET A WHOPPING 22% ACROSS ALL NY PORTS OF ENTRY LAST MONTH - THREATENING NY SMALL BUSINESSES, THOUSANDS OF JOBS, AND UPSTATE ECONOMY RELIANT ON SUMMER TOURISM BOOST

New Data Shows Border Crossings Across Upstate NY Are Nose-Diving As Trump’s Tariffs And Ludicrous Comments On Annexing Canada Drive Away Tourists, Putting Billions For NY’s Main Streets At Risk, Jeopardizing Jobs, & Restricting The Summer Tourism Economy

Schumer Says NY House Republicans Must Stand Up For Upstate NY And The Main Street Hotels, Restaurants & Shops Across NY That Rely On Canadian Tourists And Are Seeing Major Hits To Their Bottom Lines – The House Needs To Act On The Senate-Passed Bill To End Tariff War With Canada

Schumer: Trump Tariff War & Destructive Comments Are Burning Bridges With Canada, And Blowing A Massive Hole In Upstate NY’s Tourism Economy

With summer tourism season kicking off and Canadians canceling trips to the United States at record rates because of Trump’s mistreatment of our closest ally and trading partner, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today revealed new data on how Trump’s reckless tariff war is causing border crossings to plummet across all major land ports of entry in Upstate New York. According to Customs & Border Patrol (CBP), almost 290,000 fewer travelers crossed the Upstate New York-Canadian border last month than over the same period in 2024, a whopping 22% decrease.

“Burning bridges and ruining relationships with our closest ally and key trading partner, Canada, right when summer tourism season is arriving, is about as destructive as it gets. Upstate NY is on the frontlines of Trump’s destructive tariff war, and this shocking new data shows our tourism economy is paying the price from Buffalo to Ogdensburg,” said Leader Schumer. “Instead of lowering costs, Trump’s tariffs are raising prices for families and driving away tourists who spend billions in our shops, hotels, restaurants, and support thousands of NY jobs. If this trend of depressed tourism continues, this could be a summer in Upstate NY that no small business wants to remember.”

According to new data from CBP, Upstate NY & Canada saw approximately 1,017,500 border crossings in April, compared to 1,307,381 during the same month in 2024, a nearly 22% decrease across road and bridge crossings frequented by tourists.  A breakdown bridge-by-bridge from the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association shows just how steeply tourism is declining across all the major land ports of entry between Upstate NY and Canada:

Schumer said this steep drop is alarming and called on NY House Republicans to stand up for their constituents and Main Street small businesses – like hotels, restaurants and shops – and take up the resolution which has already passed the Senate to end this reckless, ill-conceived and harmful trade war with Canada.

Schumer added, “This should be a bright red alarm for NY House Republicans who have stayed silent as Trump’s reckless trade war has wreaked havoc in their districts. To add insult to injury, he makes absurd declarations on annexing our neighbors to the north, which only depresses travel to the U.S. and the purchase of American products. NY House Republicans need to stand up for Upstate NY and should take up the bill which has already passed the Senate to end this reckless trade war with Canada and restore our cherished, friendly and economically dynamic relationship with our next-door neighbor.”

Across Upstate NY, businesses are already seeing the impacts of fewer Canadian tourists and are worried that it will get worse, and Upstate New York would feel the impact of this decline first and harder than nearly anywhere else in the country. In Western New York, Canadian tourism is nearly 40% of the overall tourism economy in Buffalo. In Central New York, Visit Syracuse says web traffic from Canadians is down by half this year creating major worry for the summer season, approximately 15% of tourism dollars spent in the Syracuse area come from Canadian visitors.

According to a recent North Country Chamber of Commerce survey, 66% of businesses are already experiencing a dip in Canadian bookings. Canada is the top source of international visitors to the U.S., with 20.4 million visits in 2024, generating $20.5 billion in spending and supporting 140,000 American jobs. Schumer said if there were even a 10% reduction in Canadian travel, it could mean as much as $2 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses across America.

“The Peace Bridge, as a self-funded agency, is reliant on tolls generated by cross border traffic to provide service to the travelling public. We were just beginning to approach normal traffic volumes following the border restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Ron Rienas, Chief Executive Officer of the Peace Bridge Authority. “The decline of car and truck traffic directly impacts our bottom line and that of every international crossing and hampers the ability to make investments to facilitate  the safe and efficient movement of people and commerce.”

“As Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, and through ongoing discussions with leaders from other border communities on both sides, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact tariffs are having on our region. The sharp decline in Canadian visitors is hurting families, small businesses, hotels, marinas, golf courses, restaurants, and workers who depend on cross-border tourism to make a living. Beyond the economic toll, these tariffs are eroding the cultural ties that have connected our communities for generations,” said Michael S. Cashman, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor. “This isn’t about politics it’s about real people and the survival of our border region. The harmful rhetoric labeling Canada as a ‘51st state’ only deepens divisions. Canada is our oldest ally and closest friend, and our economies and cultures have long been intertwined for the benefit of us all.”

Since taking office in January, Trump has damaged the United States’ relationship with Canada by threatening to annex Canada and levying 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. Schumer said this new data on major reductions in bridge crossings shows Trump’s threats to annex Canada and tariff Canadian goods are directly impacting commerce between the two countries, including Canadian tourism across New York State.

Schumer said he is fighting to end this unnecessary, damaging trade war with Canada and protect tourism, small businesses, and local jobs. Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution to end tariffs on Canada, and Schumer said this new shocking data shows the urgency for House Republicans to take up and pass it as well. Senate Democrats are also pushing for tariff exemptions for small businesses and putting an end to Trump’s across-the-board tariffs. Schumer said ending this costly trade war is key to protecting American families from price increases and job losses as a result of tariffs on Canada.

“I am all for addressing trade imbalances, especially with adversaries like China, but these sweeping, ill-conceived tariffs are creating chaos and undermining those goals. Rather than uniting the world against China, Trump has united our allies like Canada against us. The Senate passed a resolution to end this disastrous trade war with Canada, and now it’s time for the House to follow. We need everyone, especially NY House Republicans, to stand up against Trump’s senseless, job-killing trade war that is hurting our tourism industry, New York’s Main Streets, and New Yorkers’ jobs,” concluded Schumer.

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