BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has asked the Biden administration to drop its vaccine mandate for truckers coming to the United States from Canada, which began Jan. 22. Truckers had previously been exempted under essential worker status.
“Over 75% of U.S.-Canada trade moves by truck,” Goehring said. “Forcing this vaccine mandate on the industry will hurt the livelihoods of truckers, create further supply chain disruptions and cause price increases in essential goods.”
Canada’s federal government also ordered that foreign drivers who are unvaccinated may no longer cross into Canada as of Jan. 15. The Canada Border Services Agency told reporters on Jan. 12 that the policy would be relaxed, but on Jan. 13, federal ministers issued a statement saying that was an error and the mandate would stand.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Associations say that up to 32,000 drivers who make regular cross-border trips will be affected.