Travel between Canada and the United States was steadily increasing in August before bilateral trade talks broke down and tensions escalated between the two countries.
Statistics Canada data showed that Canadians made approximately 2.6 million return trips from the United States in August, an increase of 8.8 per cent compared with August 2025. It was the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth.
The increase followed a sharp decline in Canadian travel to the U.S. last year, partly driven by the “Buy Canadian” movement and growing political tensions. Despite the recent recovery, travel volumes remained below August 2024 levels. Return trips by automobile increased 9.9 per cent compared with the previous year but were still 27.4 per cent lower than in August 2024. Air travel also rose annually, with return trips by air increasing 3.6 per cent, although they remained 22.7 per cent below the 2024 figure.
Travel in the opposite direction also increased. Trips by U.S. residents to Canada reached 2.4 million in August, up 2.4 per cent from the same month a year earlier. This represented the seventh consecutive month of growth.
Americans made approximately 1.8 million road trips to Canada during the month, up one per cent from August 2025. Air travel from the U.S. to Canada increased by 6.8 per cent, reaching about 629,600 trips.
August also marked the first full month of operation for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Michigan. The bridge recorded approximately 134,900 return trips by Canadians from the United States, with more than half being same-day visits. About 101,000 Americans travelled to Canada through the bridge during the same period.
However, traffic at Windsor’s Ambassador Bridge declined significantly. Approximately 348,000 trips entered Canada through the bridge in August, representing a 35.4 per cent decrease compared with August 2025.
The travel figures were recorded before Canada withdrew from trade negotiations on August 21 after Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States had made unacceptable last-minute demands. The subsequent introduction of new U.S. tariffs and Canada’s retaliatory measures have raised concerns about the future of cross-border tourism, shopping and business travel.
The latest developments could influence travel patterns in the coming months, particularly as Canadians traditionally travel to the United States for vacations, shopping and winter stays.