Border crossings increase in New York amid threats of tariff spikes on Canadian goods.”Normally during the summer, we get a lot of Canadians,” said Natalie Casey-Sanger, the manager of North Country Co-Op. “We didn’t this past summer, but this holiday season we did see more Canadians than we did over the past year.”Casey-Sanger is relieved after the North Country Chamber of Commerce released a statement Wednesday that border crossings increased in December. This is the first time there’s been a rise in car crossings in months.”The holidays came, people felt good, they came back to do their shopping where they traditionally do their shopping,” said Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. “We not only saw a full recovery, we saw a 5% increase from a year before. So very pleased to see that.”Officials said nearly 3500 more cars crossed the border to Champlain in Dec. 2025 compared to Dec. 2024, which could be a positive result of the chamber’s “We See Canadians As” campaign.”The only lingering concern is the talk and the threats of tariffs that resonates in the Canadian news media, which kind of picks at the scab and doesn’t let us get to the point of let’s kind of stop talking about that. Let’s go and let the two governments work that out. Let’s get back to our relationship,” said Douglas. On Saturday, President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a trade deal with China.”There will not be 100% tariff on all Canadian products,” said Douglas. “That will push the U.S. into recession. We are so intertwined.”U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, (D) New York, also spoke out Wednesday with concerns about more tariffs. “Working families simply can’t afford to pay more for what they need,” said Gillibrand. “This has to stop. New Yorkers shouldn’t live in fear because of actions of our president. They shouldn’t have to see food prices spike because of the president’s recklessness.”This comes after Trump already increased Canada’s tariff rate over the summer from 25% to 35%. Casey-Sanger said that difference impacts her business, especially on coffee and tea they import from our northern neighbor.”We’ve been increasing prices as little as we can manage, and we’ve been ordering fewer of our products and less of our products because people aren’t buying as much of it,” said Casey-Sanger. “They just can’t.”Even with growing concern over the president’s potential actions, North Country residents are hoping Canadians continue crossing the border well after the holiday season.The chamber said they plan to continue their messaging campaign well into the spring, hopefully drawing more Canadians to North Country campgrounds and beaches during the summer, which is normally one of the busiest seasons.

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. —

Border crossings increase in New York amid threats of tariff spikes on Canadian goods.

“Normally during the summer, we get a lot of Canadians,” said Natalie Casey-Sanger, the manager of North Country Co-Op. “We didn’t this past summer, but this holiday season we did see more Canadians than we did over the past year.”

Casey-Sanger is relieved after the North Country Chamber of Commerce released a statement Wednesday that border crossings increased in December. This is the first time there’s been a rise in car crossings in months.

“The holidays came, people felt good, they came back to do their shopping where they traditionally do their shopping,” said Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. “We not only saw a full recovery, we saw a 5% increase from a year before. So very pleased to see that.”

Officials said nearly 3500 more cars crossed the border to Champlain in Dec. 2025 compared to Dec. 2024, which could be a positive result of the chamber’s “We See Canadians As” campaign.

“The only lingering concern is the talk and the threats of tariffs that resonates in the Canadian news media, which kind of picks at the scab and doesn’t let us get to the point of let’s kind of stop talking about that. Let’s go and let the two governments work that out. Let’s get back to our relationship,” said Douglas.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a trade deal with China.

“There will not be 100% tariff on all Canadian products,” said Douglas. “That will push the U.S. into recession. We are so intertwined.”

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, (D) New York, also spoke out Wednesday with concerns about more tariffs.

“Working families simply can’t afford to pay more for what they need,” said Gillibrand. “This has to stop. New Yorkers shouldn’t live in fear because of actions of our president. They shouldn’t have to see food prices spike because of the president’s recklessness.”

This comes after Trump already increased Canada’s tariff rate over the summer from 25% to 35%.

Casey-Sanger said that difference impacts her business, especially on coffee and tea they import from our northern neighbor.

“We’ve been increasing prices as little as we can manage, and we’ve been ordering fewer of our products and less of our products because people aren’t buying as much of it,” said Casey-Sanger. “They just can’t.”

Even with growing concern over the president’s potential actions, North Country residents are hoping Canadians continue crossing the border well after the holiday season.

The chamber said they plan to continue their messaging campaign well into the spring, hopefully drawing more Canadians to North Country campgrounds and beaches during the summer, which is normally one of the busiest seasons.