This Michigan border town is missing Canadian shoppers amid Trump's tariffs

Chicago Tribune

27-05-2025

PORT HURON, Michigan — Not long ago, Canadian shoppers were a familiar sight in shops and restaurants just across the U.S. border in Port Huron. In recent weeks, they're showing up less often, a shift many attribute to tensions with the Trump administration.
Tariffs and political remarks, including President Donald Trump's repeated suggestions that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state, have strained relations between the traditional allies and soured Canadians on their southern neighbor, according to folks here.
The fallout has hit communities like Port Huron hard, where the economy typically benefits from steady Canadian foot traffic.
While some see political tensions and tariffs as the major drivers of the slowdown, others have pointed to different issues. Recent delays at the Blue Water Bridge and Canada's struggling economy have also been cited as possible reasons fewer Canadians are crossing into Michigan.
Greg Whitican, owner of running store Elite Feet in downtown Port Huron, said his business has been deeply impacted by the downturn in relations.
'We've lost a lot of customers,' Whitican said. 'I used to have a lot of Canadians from Sarnia, as far away as London, that would come and shop and buy their shoes and participate in our running races. And since everything has kind of gone the way it has, we don't have any.'
The number of Canadians entering Michigan began to decline in February, shortly after Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, and the downward trend has accelerated. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, passenger vehicle crossings from Canada into Michigan dropped 15% year over year in February to 544,929. The decline grew in March, with crossings down 18% to 641,604 and again in April, dropping 19% to 577,171.
The drop was especially pronounced in Port Huron. At the Blue Water Bridge, the number of Canadian travelers arriving by passenger vehicle fell 26% in February to 96,059. In March, traffic was down 29% to 121,666 and in April it plunged 33% to 105,689.
The falloff is hitting retailers, restaurants and others in Port Huron's main business district.
'It's not just us,' Whitican said. 'It's everybody downtown.'
The slide in cross-border traffic comes as some Canadian travel agents and officials have said more people are scrapping plans to visit the United States. Instead, many are looking at other international spots or choosing to stay closer to home for their summer getaways.
Port Huron Mayor Anita Ashford acknowledges the challenges downtown Port Huron faces from the drop-off in Canadian visitors.
Ashford said the city is working to revitalize its central business district through the Downtown Development Authority. However, she said the situation is a 'double hit' because of the border tensions.
'That makes it extra hard on us in terms of our efforts and what we already have to do in order to be a successful downtown,' she said.
She also noted a sharp decline in Canadian shoppers at the Birchwood Mall in neighboring Fort Gratiot, where empty parking spots and fewer Canadian license plates have become common.
'They (were) there more than we were,' she said. '… Now it's like playing checkerboard. It's so many empty spots there. And that is a tell-all.'
Ashford said some Canadians still cross over for work, to purchase gasoline and engage in a few other activities. She said she understands Canadians and the difficult choices they face.
'It's not even accepting, it's just respecting,' she said. 'Because people, when you're pitted like this, you have to do what you have to do. It's like survival for them. And if that makes them comfortable if they don't have come over here, or whatever, then you can't do anything but respect that. And who am I to judge your positioning? I'm not one to do that.'
Sarnia City Councillor Bill Dennis, a frequent traveler to the United States and vocal supporter of cross-border ties, says the decrease in crossings has more to do with recent delays over the Blue Water Bridge, like an expected two-hour wait over Memorial Day weekend, and Canada's struggles with high inflation and tight household budgets, than politics or anti-American sentiment.
'I'm sure there's the odd person that will not go because of that, but my contention is you're seeing fewer people because the economy is so bad over here that people do not have the disposable income they once had,' he said.
He said the wait times or recent political developments haven't deterred him or most people he knows from visiting the United States. He said he travels across the border multiple times a week. Dennis said new customs duties on purchases might discourage some Canadians from shopping in the United States, but he says it's still often cheaper to buy gas and dine in Michigan, even with the unfavorable exchange rate and bridge tolls.
In March, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley proposed removing U.S. flags on city-owned property in response to the trade war, but Dennis said he fought to ensure flags remained flying. Later that month, the cities of Sarnia and Port Huron held a joint flag-waving celebration, each side displaying both national flags as a gesture of cross-border friendship, he said.
'Just to combat the division that was going on …' he said. 'It's governments that separate people. It's not everyday citizens. And this too shall pass.'
At Elite Feet on Huron Avenue, Whitican said he noticed a drop in Canadian visitors during the store's annual running event in January, the PoHo Hot Cocoa Run, that draws a loyal crowd, including many Canadians. The event drew 600 runners this year.
'We would normally draw 700 to 750,' he said. 'We would typically draw 50 to 70 Canadians out of all those. This year we had about 40.'
He also noticed a later drop that suggested a connection to tariff negotiations.
'When the tariffs went on, that's when I saw the dip in sales at Elite Feet,' he said. 'Because you get to know certain customers after a while. And I'm thinking, boy, you know, so-and-so hasn't been here, and that one hasn't been here. And my brother or sister-in-law live in Windsor, and they told me that they're basically being told not to come over and shop.'
His store used to have a steady flow of Canadian shoppers and shipped shoes across the border regularly. He estimates the business is now losing about five to 10 Canadian customers each week. Whitican said the slowdown is affecting not only him but also larger retailers like Meijer and Walmart in nearby Fort Gratiot, just north of the Blue Water Bridge.
With his wife, Whitican also owns an ice cream shop, Elite Treats, in downtown Port Huron. He said the shop relies mainly on customers, including Canadians, who are in town for other reasons.
'And a lot of our customers at the ice cream shop are people that have gone out to dinner, and they're gonna come and get an ice cream after dinner,' he said.
Down the street from Elite Feet, Suzanne Kuhn, who has owned Suzanne's Fashions for 50 years, said she's seen a 40% to 50% drop in customer traffic, largely due to fewer Canadian shoppers.
'I used to be packed here with Canadians, but not now,' she said, pointing to tariffs, bridge delays and lingering effects of COVID-19 for keeping many of those customers away.
She said she sometimes sees longtime customers on Friday nights and Saturdays, because they come to dine at Señor Tequila, which is down the street. They want to remain loyal, she said.
'They try and be,' she said. 'Some of them are too afraid … The tariffs and all the stuff has scared people.'
At Anne's Diner on Pine Grove Avenue, owner Anne Lage and waitress Michelle Williams said they've noticed fewer Canadians, but they can't necessarily attribute it to cross-border tensions. They each mentioned the backups on the Blue Water Bridge, which Lage said are 'insane at times.'
Lage said business has been lower than usual over the past month, marking the slowest year she's seen since the pandemic. Sales have dropped significantly: For example, a typical morning used to bring in $2,000 but now it's closer to $1,200, Lage said.
Sales aren't strong, but business is still enough to cover overhead, she said. 'But I just can't put anything in my pocket.'
The cross-border tension isn't something they dwell on at the diner, Williams said.
'We try not to talk about politics around here,' she said.