BORDER POLICY BP
What can we expect at the border in 2021? A return to a pre-pandemic border seems unlikely Laurie Trautman On March 21, 2020, the United States and Canada took unprecedented bilateral action and restricted cross-border land travel to “essential” purposes. While commercial cargo, essential workers and a handful of other travelers are able to cross the border, the vast majority of travelers are prohibited. Both the U.S. and Canada have remained in lock step in their continual 30-day extensions of the border restrictions. Given the high rate of infection in the U.S. visà-vis Canada, and the overall state of the pandemic, these border restrictions are likely to remain in place until cross-border mobility can resume in a way that does not endanger public health. As a result of the restrictions, crossings between British Columbia and Washington are down roughly 97%. The month of August is typically the busiest month for cross-border travel in
our region, with an average of 400,000 cars crossing into Blaine. In August 2020, just 16,000 cars entered the U.S. at the Blaine crossing.The restrictions have had an immense economic impact on various sectors in Whatcom County, ranging from tourism to re-
As we look to 2021, it is clear that the border restrictions are likely to remain in place for months to come. A best-case scenario would see the pandemic easing in both countries, with infection rates dropping to a level that both the U.S. and Canada view
The month of August is typically the busiest month for cross-border travel in our region, with an average of 400,000 cars crossing into Blaine. In August 2020, just 16,000 cars entered the U.S. at the Blaine crossing. tail. In 2018, 5.4 million visitors from Canada traveled to Whatcom County, primarily to shop, pick up mail and buy gas. The Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University estimates that nearly 12% of Whatcom’s taxable retail sales are attributable to Canadians. In addition, Whatcom County’s hospitality sector, the Bellingham International Airport, and second-home ownership are all additional aspects of our economy that are impacted by Canadians and other cross-border travelers.
as manageable to enable the lifting of border restrictions. Perhaps we can accomplish this by late spring, aided by advancements in vaccine distribution. Regardless of infection rates, however, it is unlikely that we will return to a pre-pandemic border and more likely that testing or proof of vaccine will become a requirement for crossing the border. A number of airlines and airports around the world (including inbound flights to Hawaii) are already implementing testing protocols. A worst-case scenario would imply
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JAN/FEB 2021 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
