Cross-border traffic in a post-pandemic Cascade Gateway
2023 DATA DIGEST
Published May, 2023
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For more information:
Melissa Fanucci, AICP
Principal Planner
Whatcom Council of Governments
melissa@wcog.org
(360)685-8385
The 2023 IMTC Data Digest provides our first look into cross-border travel and trade activity since the lifting of federal restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected in 2020 and 2021 show the decrease of cross-border volume due to restrictions, testing requirements, and other factors. 2022 is the first full year of crossing volumes without the most impactful pandemic restrictions.
Given the anomalies of 2020 and 2021, most of the following data compares 2019 to 2022. As can be seen, volumes have returned from pandemic levels, but are still averaging a 35% decrease from 2019.
New data to showcase includes that collected by the IMTC 2022 Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) Study followed the pattern of prior trade data collection efforts, which are conducted approximately every five years. These new data, especially when compared to 2016 data, show that, despite the pandemic, trade remains constant through the Cascade Gateway. There has been little shift in commodities or the nature of cross-border commercial traffic.