- The continued closure of the Canadian border alone costs the U.S. economy $1.5 billion in potential travel exports each month.
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce immediately criticized the latest US border closure extension.
- The US land border restrictions do not bar US citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States.
The United States government today announced that the closure of land borders with Canada and Mexico to non-essential travel such as tourism has been extended through August 21.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce immediately criticized the latest US border closure extension. According to the chamber’s president and CEO, Perrin Beatty, the US move “flies in the face of both science and the most recent public health data.”
“It’s hard to see how allowing fully vaccinated Canadians to enter the US poses a public health threat when travel within the US is unrestricted,” Beatty said.
The United States has continued to extend the restrictions on Canada and Mexico on a monthly basis since March 2020.
The US land border restrictions do not bar US citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States. As in prior extensions, DHS said it could still seek to amend or rescind the restrictions before August 21.
US Travel Association issued the following statement on the announcement that the US border restrictions on Mexico and Canada have been extended:
“Every day that our borders remain closed further delays our industry’s recovery, causing greater damage to the millions of Americans whose livelihoods depend on travel. The continued closure of the Canadian border alone costs the U.S. economy $1.5 billion in potential travel exports each month.
“Given the strong vaccination rates on both sides of the border, it is possible to safely reopen to our No. 1 source market for international visitors. Land travel accounted for more than half of all overnight visits to the U.S. by Canadians pre-pandemic, generating significant travel exports that support vital American jobs.
“Canada made the right call in releasing a timeline for vaccinated Americans to cross the land border and visit, and it is past time that the U.S. reciprocates: There is no difference between a fully vaccinated Canadian and a fully vaccinated American. We urge the Biden administration to determine a date and a plan as quickly as possible to welcome Canadian visitors at U.S. land borders.”