The Emerson, Manitoba border crossing is experiencing a severe drop in truck traffic heading to the U.S., largely due to uncertainties over proposed tariffs. Shopkeeper Simon Resch noted the significant decrease in trucks compared to typical levels.

The situation: Truckers are hesitant to cross the border without clear tariff guidelines. The Manitoba Trucking Association confirms that its members are holding back on shipments until the tariff context is clarified.

• Resch mentioned that normally, hundreds of semis line up on Highway 75, but now only a handful are crossing at a time.
• The Emerson crossing usually facilitates about $31 billion in trade annually, making this downturn unprecedented according to a Global News report.

Comparisons: Resch compared the current situation to pandemic times when leisure travel halted but trucks continued crossing. Now, he says, truck traffic seems almost eliminated.

For now, truckers and businesses remain vigilant, waiting for a resolution to the tariff talks to assess how they can resume normal operations.