Unvaccinated Canadian truckers who wish to enter Canada with their cargo must be screened at the border since Saturday morning, in addition to respecting a quarantine.
“We are in a somewhat precarious situation. About half of what we make in Quebec alone is exported to the United States,” said Sylvie Cloutier, president and CEO of the Conseil de la transformation alimentation du Québec (CTAQ).
As for American truckers who have not received their two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, they simply cannot enter the country.
Some American drivers who bring essential materials for processing are therefore not eligible for border crossing, which poses a problem, according to Marc Cadieux, president and CEO of the Quebec Trucking Association (ACQ).
Several truckers met on Saturday at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing said they were vaccinated and welcomed these measures for their colleagues who are not.
However, some have already complained regarding waiting times at customs.
The Quebec Food Processing Council has estimated that there will be between 12,000 and 16,000 fewer truckers on the roads.
According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CCA) and the American Trucking Association, it is estimated that 26,000 of the 160,000 cross-border drivers will be kept out.
“We will probably redevelop the distribution routes. So the next week is going to be crucial to measure the real impact on tablets. There is a certain nervousness, I won’t hide it from you, at some retailers, ”believes Jean-Guy Côté, general manager of the Quebec Council of retail trade (CQCD).
The United States will impose the same measure next weekend, this time on Canadian truckers entering their territory.
