Protesting Truckers Block US-Canada Bridge, Risking Disruption of Industries

They have been protesting against the Trudeau government's vaccine mandate for three weeks.

Windsor Detroit Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Ontario. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@tr6_guy)

The border bridge between Canada and the United States (US), which is central to the mobility of trucks across the border, has been blockaded by protesting Canadian truckers, The Globe and Mail reported on Wednesday, 9 February.

The blockade could have a serious impact on both the American and Canadian economies.

Industries that will be disrupted by this include the automotive industry and the agricultural sector.

Bilateral trade between Canada and the US was worth $612.1 pre-pandemic, according to the website of the US Trade Representative.

The governments of both countries have warned about the multimillion-dollar losses that they will face if the blockade is not lifted.

"I think it’s important for everyone in Canada and the United States to understand what the potential impact of this blockage is on workers, on the supply chain."

Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary

Two of Ford Motor Company's Canadian plants had been shut and another had reduced production, the company said on Wednesday, according to The New York Times.

Similarly, Toyota Motor Corporation and Honda Motor Company might stop some production lines due to the border closures, said David Adams, the president of Global Automakers of Canada.

A Brief Recap

The Canadian government, on 15 January, had imposed a vaccine mandate on truckers.

It required that they provide proof of vaccination before entering Canada from the US, and if they didn't, they would have to quarantine for 14 days.

The truckers were considered as essential workers, and were initially exempted from vaccination.

The 'Freedom Convoy,' which began as a protest against the vaccine mandate, soon escalated into massive demonstrations against the government and its overall COVID-19 response.

The mayor of the Canadian capitol, Ottawa, declared a state of emergency on 6 February.

Ottawa police said earlier in the week that 23 arrests had been made as a result of the 'unlawful demonstrations,' and that 80 cases have been registered against the truckers.

The protests around Parliament Hill in Ottawa had led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family being shifted to a safe location.

(With inputs from NYT and the Globe and Mail.)