OTTAWA — The latest numbers from Statistics Canada paint a grim but unsurprising picture of cross-border travel in these trade war days.

The number of Canadian-resident return trips by automobile from the U.S. in March 2025 totalled 1.5 million, “a steep decline” (-31.9%) from the same month in 2024, says StatCan. March 2025 marked the third consecutive month of year-over-year decline, and the third decline observed since March 2021.

Canadian-resident return trips by air from both the U.S. and countries other than the U.S. stood at 2.2 million, a slight increase of 0.5% from the same month one year earlier which was driven by an increase (+9.1%) in return trips from countries other than the U.S.

In contrast, the return trips that Canadian residents made by air from the U.S. in March 2025 were 13.5% lower than the same month in 2024.

International arrivals (i.e. returning Canadian residents and non-residents combined) to Canada by air and automobile in March 2025 was 4.9 million, down 14% from March 2024. This was the second consecutive month of year-over-year decline and the second decline observed since March 2021, according to StatCan.

For inbound U.S. travel into Canada, in March 2025 the number of arrivals to Canada by U.S. residents by air increased 1.2% from the same month in 2024, while arrivals by automobile decreased 10.6%.

Click here to see the March 2025 StatCan cross-border travel numbers.