Toronto - Arab Canada News

Duty-free shops on the Canadian-American border are experiencing a sharp decline in sales, amid increasing reluctance from Canadian travelers to visit the United States, against the backdrop of rising trade tensions between the two countries.

Parkash Soobie, President of the Canadian Duty-Free Shops Association, stated that the current situation is "very bleak," describing the drop in travelers and sales as "a fall off the edge of a cliff." He added, "We have not seen a decline of this magnitude since the border closure during the Corona pandemic."

This crisis is attributed to recent decisions made by President Donald Trump's administration, which included imposing new tariffs on a number of Canadian goods, leading to strained trade relations and a decline in traveler confidence.

Estimates from the association indicate that some border shops have lost up to 70% of their revenues in recent weeks, especially at border crossings in Ontario and British Columbia, where Canadians typically used to go for shopping or entertainment in nearby American cities.

For their part, several shopowners confirmed that the decline in traffic has led to layoffs and reduced working hours, with no signs of imminent improvement amid the ongoing trade war.