Washington’s tourism hotspots suffer as Canadians boycott U.S. vacations over Trump’s tariffs

Border towns in Washington are bracing for business impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Beginning just after midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now subject to a 25% tariff, with Canadian energy products facing an additional 10% duty.

In response to the tariffs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging Canadians to buy Canadian products and vacation at home, and many Canadians seem to be heeding that call to action.

For small businesses in towns like Port Angeles, which has direct ferry service to Victoria, B.C., a lag in the number of Canadian tourists is already noticeable.

That, coupled with recent federal cuts to staff at nearby Olympic National Park, could sting economically.

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Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce on tourism in Washington

“We heard from a lot of Canadians,” Marc Abshire with the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce said. “Don’t expect any of them to be coming down to the United States or to Port Angeles anytime soon. So, we’ve kind of got a little bit of a double whammy on us potentially right now with the federal government.”

Canadian tourism is a significant contributor to Washington’s economy. In 2023, according to the State of Washington Tourism, the amount of money Canadian visitors spent in the state increased by 8.1% to $23.9 billion.

A 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean 2 million fewer visits, $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses nationwide, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

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