Heading into 2021, the epicenter of Canada’s shipping delays may shift from the west coast to the southern border. The looming threat for 2022 is the impending cross-border trucker vaccine mandate expected to come into effect in late January. The joint effort between the Canadian and US governments is aimed at reducing the spread of COVID amid the current omicron variant situation. 

The mandate has received pushback from industry groups and politicians alike who worry about the effect this mandate could have on the supply chain. Currently, 120,000 Canadian drivers handle about 75% of all cross-border truck freight, and industry experts predict that this mandate would see up to 22,000 of these drivers pass on cross-border work in order to dodge the mandate. Such a large hit to an already short supply of drivers could spell disaster for Canada and its most crucial trade partner.

– An updated article is available here: Vaccine Mandate and Cross Border Trade.