Truckers are scrambling as Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian cargo—and Canada’s counterpunch—grind cross-border trade to a crawl. A pre-deadline dash saw January exports to the U.S. leap 7.5% to $58.2 billion, StatsCan reports, but now loads are drying up. “February was wild,” said Eassons Transport’s Trevor Bent, whose Nova Scotia fleet ships pies and fish. “Tariffs hit Tuesday, and cancellations are piling up.” With 20% of his sales U.S.-tied, he’s eyeing cuts—six workers per million lost.
Kriska Transportation’s Mark Seymour feels the heat too, with 800 trucks crossing daily, fueling 95% of their $350-million take. “No one’s got margin to spare,” he said, dreading a “profound” trade war blow. Trump’s Thursday pivot—delaying some tariffs to April 2—eased the throttle, mirrored by Canada’s Dominic LeBlanc pausing a $125-billion U.S. goods slap, though $30 billion in duties linger. Shippers, spooked by the 25% hike, are freezing orders, leaving truckers—hauling 70% of Canada-U.S. trade—in limbo. Road shipments made up 52% of 2023 imports and 40% of exports, per StatsCan.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Stephen Laskowski sees “shocking” fallout, with Ontario job cuts looming. “Consumer trust’s tanking,” warned Montreal’s Julie Gascon. Wild policy swings spark currency wobbles and buying power dips, said Lisa McEwan of Hemisphere Freight. A lifeline? Sub-US$800 shipments slip through tariff-free. “Not a total wreck,” she mused. But with economists hinting at inflation and recession, truckers are white-knuckling it through the uncertainty.