MAINE MORNING STAR • January 5, 2026
New analysis of federal and state data by the Maine Center for Economic Policy shows the number of Canadians visiting Maine has plummeted since President Donald Trump’s inauguration and as a result economic activity in Maine’s border communities has shrunk significantly. Since last January, Trump has made a number of antagonistic moves towards Canada, from imposing tariffs, to threatening to annex the country as the “51st state.” Canadians have responded with their own tariffs and boycotts of American-made products and travel to the United States. Since Trump’s inauguration, almost 750,000 fewer people have crossed the land border into Maine. The Canadian boycott of Maine has had repercussions on the state’s economy, especially in areas near the border. ~ James Myall, Maine Center for Economic Policy