Truckers scramble for new routes as tariffs bring shipments to a halt

MONTREAL — Trucking companies are halting shipments, mulling layoffs and scrambling for new routes as tariffs wreak havoc on cross-border trade.

The lead-up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping 25 per cent tariff on Canadian imports as well as retaliatory duties from Canada that took effect Tuesday prompted a surge in deliveries over the past two months as shippers raced to beat the deadline.

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Eassons Transport Group CEO Trevor Bent says his trucking company is already facing a big lull in shipments for everything from seafood to potatoes, with many orders on pause.

The Nova Scotia-based outfit, which draws nearly 20 per cent of its sales from U.S. distributors and retailers, says layoffs are likely if business continues to stall.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance says customers have been cancelling orders, and many fleets surveyed in Ontario by the industry group reported recent or imminent job cuts.

Statistics Canada says shipments by road accounted for 52 per cent of the country’s import value in 2023, and 40 per cent of its exports, with that trade flow almost entirely to and from the U.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press