The organization representing Canada’s land border duty free shops is calling out for help as fewer of us continue to make the trip into the U.S.
Frontier Duty Free Association Executive Director Barbara Barrett says the duty free shops at the country’s land borders are mostly family owned, independent businesses, which are licensed by the Canada Border Services Agency and are highly regulated.
Barrett says the original goal of the shops was to keep Canadian’s money in our country as once you leave you have to exit into the United States and she says coming off the borders being closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now fewer travelers making the trek south of the border because of ongoing tariff tensions, the shops are facing an unprecedented uncertainty.
She tells Moose FM that while she understands the reasoning for the decline, the shops need help or the could see their doors close.
“I do believe that our political leaders need to take some responsibility, not only are political leaders at all levels telling Canadians not to travel over the border but they are also incentivizing Canadians to stay in Canada.”
Barrett adds that shops in Canada face taxes that their U.S. competitors don’t and the association is asking for those to be dropped along with the “red tape” that currently exists around the way they operate.
She says they have sounded the alarm and now they are waiting to see what action will be taken.
