There will ultimately be a reprieve to allow unvaccinated truckers to continue crossing the Canada-U.S. Border, which should provide some breathing space for businesses already facing significant supply challenges since the start of the pandemic.
Posted at 11:10 p.m.
Three days before the obligation came into effect (Saturday, January 15), and after multiple appeals from the trucking industry, Ottawa changed its mind on Wednesday night. By email, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said that Canadian truckers wishing to enter the country will not have to go into quarantine if they are not vaccinated or if they have not received sufficient information. ‘a single dose of vaccine.
“Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign truckers, including Americans, will be barred from entering Canada as of January 15,” added Agency spokesperson Rebecca Purdy.
It had not been possible to find out the reasons for this decision. No new timeline was mentioned.
In addition, the reprieve could be short-lived. If they are not fully vaccinated, truckers could be refused entry to the United States as of January 22, according to several American media. This date has not, however, been officially confirmed by the Biden administration.
“For the moment, we are talking about a one week delay, which is certainly not enough to accelerate the trend of those who are going for the first vaccines,” the president of the Alliance du Quebec trucking (ACQ), Marc Cadieux. It’s a little oxygen, but it won’t be enough.
The trucking industry and the business community – who say they are in favor of vaccination – were asking the Trudeau government to wait a few more months before tightening the screws on unvaccinated truckers. They anticipated a new logistical challenge that would have increased the pressure on supply chains, already weakened since the start of the pandemic.
“This shows an openness compared to the closure that there was until now, believes the President and CEO of Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec (MEQ), Véronique Proulx. With the approach of the deadline, one seems to realize that there could be shortages. It shows that there is still a reflection that is being done. ”
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, THE PRESS
Véronique Proulx is President and CEO of Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec
Currently, it is estimated that there are 120,000 Canadian truckers making transborder trips. Some 40,000 US license holders also do so.
Problems on both sides
The vaccination requirement would exacerbate the scarcity of drivers in an industry already affected by a labor shortage for several years. According to the ACQ, the vaccination rate in the industry corresponds to the provincial portrait. In Quebec, nearly 82% of the population aged five and over has received two doses of the vaccine.
The problem would have repercussions for both importers and exporters. According to the most recent data from the Quebec Ministry of Transport, approximately 70% of the value of trade between Quebec and markets in the northeastern United States is transported by truck.
“The levels of government seem to have grasped the economic issue,” says Mr. Cadieux. It is not just a road transport issue, but an economic issue of several million dollars. We will have a reprieve to do a full demonstration. ”
As January 15 approached, transportation companies told La Presse that Ottawa’s requirements would result in a decrease in the capacity available to transport goods. Some had already identified drivers who would no longer meet the requirements to make the round trip to the United States.
Imported fruits and vegetables are very common in supermarkets in winter. Fruit and vegetable distributors had already started to adapt in the hope of mitigating a possible increase in transport costs.
“We had to change our purchasing habits,” explains Guy Milette, executive vice-president of Courchesne Larose, a fruit and vegetable import and distribution company. We reserve trucks two, three or four days in advance. We adapt to get the trips we need, but the prices are higher. ”
According to the President and CEO of the Quebec Association for the Distribution of Fruits and Vegetables (AQDFL), Sophie Perreault, a “trip from California cost between $ 7,000 and $ 8,000”. As a sign that a decrease in transport capacity was anticipated, prices have remained around $ 10,000 since the start of the year, she explained.
12,000
The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that this is the number of Canadian drivers who could no longer cross the Canada-U.S. Border due to vaccination requirements.