For years, cross-border trucking has been a cornerstone of goods movement in British Columbia. But new BCTA analysis suggests the current slowdown in truck trade with the United States is not just a short-term reaction to tariffs or recent market uncertainty. It is part of a broader shift that has been building for some time.

Drawing on 20 years of U.S. Department of Transportation data, BCTA found that truck freight moving through B.C.’s 17 land border crossings has been declining since 2022, after a strong rebound coming out of the pandemic. That trend continued through 2025 at nearly the same pace, suggesting the downturn is structural rather than temporary. In 2025, freight values were down 3% for shipments moving from Canada to the U.S. and 9% for shipments moving from the U.S. to Canada.

The report also makes clear that this is not a universal decline across all freight categories. On the Canadian export side, wood and wood products have fallen sharply, down 38% since 2021. At the same time, machinery and electrical goods increased 59%, while foodstuffs rose 24%. For freight moving into Canada, transportation equipment has dropped 39% since 2022, even though machinery and electrical goods remain the leading inbound commodity group.

Another key finding is just how concentrated cross-border trucking remains. The Douglas and Pacific Highway crossings continue to dominate, accounting for roughly two-thirds of all truck-moved freight between B.C. and the U.S. Over the full 20-year period studied, the top five crossings handled 98% of all truck freight by value.

For carriers, the message is straightforward: cross-border freight remains important, but steady growth in that segment can no longer be assumed. The report points to growing importance in domestic and regional freight, east-west trade, and port-related trucking as Canada works to diversify trade beyond the U.S. For B.C. carriers, that may mean looking beyond traditional assumptions and planning for a market that is changing in real and measurable ways.

Read the full report here:  The Slow Burn — BC’s Cross-Border Trucking Downturn Started Long Before Tariffs