Inslee 'Extremely Disappointed' By Ongoing Canada Border Closure

OLYMPIA, WA — Gov. Jay Inslee and several Washington lawmakers are pushing back against the federal government's decision to keep the border with Canada closed for another month.

Canada announced Tuesday that it would begin allowing vaccinated American travelers into the country starting Aug. 9. Some hoped that the U.S. would reciprocate, but the federal government on Wednesday prolonged its border closure through at least Aug. 21.

Americans will still be able to enter Canada and return starting Aug. 9, but the U.S. move means that Canadians will be forbidden to enter the U.S. for at least another month. And local leaders are crying foul.

"I am extremely disappointed by the federal government’s announcement today that the U.S. border with Canada will remain closed through at least August 21," Inslee, a Democrat, said on Twitter. "This continued closure will result in continued hardship for Washingtonians."

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) shared a similar sentiment, saying the closure would cause "further suffering" in Washington's border communities.

At Washington's most popular border crossing in Blaine, more than 6 million people crossed the border in 2019. In 2020, that fell to just over 3 million as Canada and the U.S. limited crossings only to essential travelers.

That decline was a problem for the Evergreen State's economy. Exports to Canada accounted for almost 20 percent of the state's gross domestic product, according to a 2015 study from the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. About 10 percent of Washington's exports go to Canada, and 30 percent of the state's imported goods come from that country.

The decision to keep the border closed was made to decrease the spread of COVID-19, particularly the fast-spreading delta variant, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said. The closure on the southern border with Mexico was also extended through Aug. 21. The homeland security department said it is working with representatives from Canada and Mexico to facilitate future reopening.

But that isn't enough, Inslee said. The closure will do real harm to Washingtonians who rely on cross-border travel and tourism, he added, and he will push for earlier reopening.

"I have expressed repeatedly in communications with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security that the time has come to at least partially reopen the U.S.-Canada border, and I will continue to advocate for relief for border communities in Washington state," Inslee said.