The Less Friendly Border
I've been reading U.S. Government statistics documenting the declining volume of border crossings by individuals, and stumbled on this very insightful thread at the blog We Move to Canada. Blogger Laura K quotes from an article in The Economist, and has some very interesting reply posts.
Much as I acknowledge the need for tighter U.S. border security - and come from a more conservative political perspective than Laura K - I soberly challenge my readers about the long-term impact of greater isolation between ordinary Canadians and ordinary Americans due to declining cross-border travel.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics has numerous tables documenting the declining number of Incoming Personal Vehicle Crossings at selected border crossings (in Table 8c, crossings in North Dakota, Vermont and Washington state). To illustrate, I'll pick the heavily-traveled Blaine Port of Entry (which includes both the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway Truck Customs POEs) - keep in mind these numbers EXCLUDE business or commercial shipping, these are crossings by personal cars:
1994: 4,217,088 vehicles
1995: 4,149,250
1996: 4,488,131
1997: 4,210,986
1998: 3,278,118
1999: 3,312,775
2000: 3,332,147
2001: 2,892,208
2002: 2,385,389
2003: 2,299,636
For all U.S.-Canada ports of entry, the figures similarly reflect a rather significant decline:
1994: 40,287,901
1995: 39,145,537
1996: 39,531,000
1997: 38,950,225
1998: 36,596,806
1999: 37,219,910
2000: 36,915,053
2001: 34,308,013
2002: 32,538,817
2003: 30,220,184
I will be checking for figures for 2004 and 2005, the preliminary figures I have seen indicate the numbers are essentially similar to the rates for 2002 and 2003, even with the stronger Canadian dollar.
Much as I acknowledge the need for tighter U.S. border security - and come from a more conservative political perspective than Laura K - I soberly challenge my readers about the long-term impact of greater isolation between ordinary Canadians and ordinary Americans due to declining cross-border travel.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics has numerous tables documenting the declining number of Incoming Personal Vehicle Crossings at selected border crossings (in Table 8c, crossings in North Dakota, Vermont and Washington state). To illustrate, I'll pick the heavily-traveled Blaine Port of Entry (which includes both the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway Truck Customs POEs) - keep in mind these numbers EXCLUDE business or commercial shipping, these are crossings by personal cars:
1994: 4,217,088 vehicles
1995: 4,149,250
1996: 4,488,131
1997: 4,210,986
1998: 3,278,118
1999: 3,312,775
2000: 3,332,147
2001: 2,892,208
2002: 2,385,389
2003: 2,299,636
For all U.S.-Canada ports of entry, the figures similarly reflect a rather significant decline:
1994: 40,287,901
1995: 39,145,537
1996: 39,531,000
1997: 38,950,225
1998: 36,596,806
1999: 37,219,910
2000: 36,915,053
2001: 34,308,013
2002: 32,538,817
2003: 30,220,184
I will be checking for figures for 2004 and 2005, the preliminary figures I have seen indicate the numbers are essentially similar to the rates for 2002 and 2003, even with the stronger Canadian dollar.
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