Coffee shops and restaurants are already seeing a decline in foot traffic from Canadian tourists as the Trump Administration prepares to levy 35% tariffs on Canadian goods on August 8.
Businesses in the area rely on seasonal tourists from southern Maine and Massachusetts, according to Jane Torres, executive director of the Houlton Chamber of Commerce.
“We get a lot of summer visitors that come for a few weeks or the entire summer. At the moment, they are actually supporting the economy,” Torres stated.
According to Torres, there were 1,000 fewer people attending the Chamber’s Midnight Madness event on July 3 this year than there were last.
“Canadians will cross the border to see relatives, but they won’t be shopping as much,” she said.
“We usually go over there. Some are coming to see relatives. However, you don’t see Canadian cars in the parking lots, and they don’t shop in the businesses too often. Of course, there aren’t as many on the highway,” Torres remarked.
