Gov. Kathy Hochul meets with North Country leaders in Ogdensburg on March 10, 2026, to discuss challenges brought on by tariffs. Photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Catherine WheelerOne year later, North Country businesses still struggle with Canadian tariffs and tourism
On a warm March morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the Dobisky Center in Ogdensburg. She peered out across the sparkling St. Lawrence River.
“The first thing you see is our close connectivity to Canada, and what that has meant throughout our history,” Hochul said. “It’s an economic partnership that has endured and thrived.”
But that relationship is deeply strained after President Donald Trump enacted steep tariffs against Canada and amped up political rhetoric, going so far as to call the nation the 51st state.
Hochul said it’s disappointing because Canada isn’t just New York’s neighbor.
“These are our friends. This is a relationship that we benefit from at a personal level, but also it’s such an important part of our economy, especially in these communities here,” Hochul said.
Canada is New York’s largest export market, about a fifth of it. In 2024, the state exported $17.4 billion worth of goods north.
But last year, that fell by close to $3.8 billion because of tariffs, according to the State Comptroller’s Office.
Last month, Hohcul hosted a roundtable with North Country business and economic development leaders to hear about how the soured relationship has impacted the North Country.
Costs rising
At the meeting, Ben Dixon, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce executive director, said restaurants, small businesses, healthcare and educational groups, museums and newspapers have all reported negative impacts since the tariffs began.
“They’re talking about raw material costs increasing by anywhere from 15 to 300%,” Dixon said. “There are no U.S.-made alternatives, supply chain interruptions, lack of supply, delivery delays, price explosions.”
Yen Maine owns Nature Storehouse in Canton, ADK Fragrance and a cabin rental business. Maine said packaging prices have gone up, while opportunities to make money are disappearing.
“Our Canadian distributors no longer buy from us,” she said. “Our cabin guests cancelled their reservations…Some even call and apologize, citing like, ‘Sorry, but I just feel not right to go to the States and spend my money at this moment.'”
Dixon said businesses are trying to find strategies to cover the cost, like reducing the number or kinds of products they sell, passing the cost onto the customer, or cutting staff. But some can’t absorb it.
“Apothecary Chocolates, one of our artisan chocolate producers, just is no longer operating because of the cost to import the chocolate,” Dixon said.
Nature’s Storehouse owner Yen Maine and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ben Dixon talk with Gov. Kathy Hochul about continued struggles businesses are facing. Photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Fewer Canadians coming to the US
Tense international relations are also impacting tourism. The state comptroller says travel from Canada into New York fell by 21% last year.
International bridge traffic is down across the region. In Ogdensburg, it dropped 23% in 2025, leading to more than half a million dollars in lost toll revenue, when compared to 2024 numbers.
Anthony Adamczyck, executive director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, said the situation has created uncertainty for businesses.
“A lot of those companies are either postponing large decisions, or they’re canceling their plans altogether,” he said. “It’s really a ripple effect, which is unfortunate when there’s been so much investment and transportation infrastructure in the local community through our organization in particular.”
In the Thousand Islands, Canadian spending fell 59%, Corey Fram, 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, said.
“That’s tens of millions of dollars that were just removed from our regional economy last year,” he said. “Canadians are a significant market for us from a visitor perspective. That’s important because in Jefferson County, where I live, around 11% of the workforce is tied to tourism. So, it’s a significant loss.”
Forecasts for the upcoming tourist season don’t look much better.
Data from the travel research firm Longwoods International shows that nearly 60% of Canadian travelers said the U.S. government’s actions and political rhetoric make them less likely to visit over the next year.
Fram told Hochul he’s hopeful the Thousand Islands and other New York border communities can get Canadians back. But they need help.
“My ask is just for the continued positive messaging that’s come from your administration, just to help us continue to position ourselves that when they’re ready to return, that we’re their first stop,” Fram said.
Hochul said she’s trying to do that by meeting with Canadian leaders and differentiating the state’s views from federal policy as much as she can.