BPRI is working with the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce to conduct a survey to assess Whatcom County businesses' perceptions and responses to changes in cross-border tourism and shopping last year. Please share!👇
wwu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
The new "territorial spark" piece @stevenradil.bsky.social & Jaume Castan Pinos goes beyond the original provocation - showing why academic critique matters: scholarly debate sharpens concepts rather than shuts them down.
My text they are responding to in the comments.
doi.org/10.1080/1356...
”Border fences create a dangerous illusion that human mobility can be contained through territorial control, yet their very presence generates a self-perpetuating cycle of insecurity...” @acbsnetwork.bsky.social @bpri.bsky.social @big-lab.bsky.social @unigr-cbs.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1080/0886...
with Lila Abed, director of the Mexico Program at the Inter-American Dialogue and Laura Dawson, Executive Director of the Future Borders Coalition, organized by the World Affairs Council of Seattle. Follow this link to register: www.world-affairs.org/event/2026-a...
Tomorrow February 18th online!
BPRI Director Laurie Trautman will be moderating an important discussion digging into the North American relationship and addressing some big questions for US relations with our northern and southern neighbors...
Upcoming event!
The Future of Borders with Laurie Trautman and @edwardalden.bsky.social
Saturday, Feb. 7, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham
Follow the link for more details 👉https://wcls.libcal.com/event/15670761
I've never canceled a long-planned European vacation before. But this month, I did.
So I've written about how belittling and threatening countries affects #tourism, both into the US and now heading out, in a @cascadiadaily.com guest commentary (free to read). www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/jan/26/...
Read our brief here:
Changes include:
👉 Increased biometric collection and digital requirements
👉Shifts in digital applications with population-specific mechanisms for travelers to process their exit and entry requirements
👉Removal of exemptions for certain types of Canadian travelers
👉Proposed changes to ESTA & I-94s
In the last year, changes in US border policy suggest a shift toward heightened securitization and more unilateral enforcement of the northern border, a departure from the integrated binational approach historically employed by Canada and the US to manage their ‘shared’ border.
📣 New publication alert!
Our new Brief highlights changes to US border policy – both proposed and implemented – that may ‘thicken’ the border crossing experience by increasing processing times, and potentially wait times for both Canadians and for non-Canadians traveling from Canada to the US.
Important to note that we were still recovering from the COVID years. Ex- In 2019, Canadians coming into Whatcom totaled 2.7mil vehicles. So 2024 was still below by about 300k vehicles compared to pre-pandemic levels.
As we enter 2026, there are many reflections to be made about the last year's shift in CB travel in our region. Border crossings from Canadians into Whatcom County in 2025 decreased 36% from the previous year. As with all our infographics, you can find them here 👉https://bpri.wwu.edu/infographics
If you want to hear our perspective on what we saw in terms of Canadian travel habits to Whatcom County in 2025 and how this is likely the new normal for 2026, see the CTV News interview below.
We're putting together a new survey, that aims to collect information on how businesses in Whatcom County are experiencing the fallout. We'd love to hear your perspective once it is released. We'll post on our socials and our website with the details later this month.
Dive deeper into the region's economic interconnections and the effects that tariffs, rhetoric threatening Canadian sovereignty, and the ongoing trade war between the US and Canada are having on WA border communities, please see BPRI's newest Border Policy Brief👇
cedar.wwu.edu/bpri_publica...
Cascadia has long been considered a model of strong cross-border collaboration, however, it is not immune to policy shifts or emerging challenges that could disrupt its long-standing relationships.
Please join us as Laurie Trautman, Ginny Broadhurst, @sharonshewmake.bsky.social, @uscanada-sands.bsky.social and Derek Moscato discuss how increased tensions are impacting our cross-border region
and the efforts to overcome them.
When: Online, June 11 at 4pm PT
foundation.wwu.edu/event/trust-...
We've been hearing about drops in Canadians crossing the border in the Cascade Gateway in 2025. The data tells us that we're seeing a significant drop in SB Canadian travelers so far.
This has numerous implications for our local border communities.
Take a look at BPRI's newest infographic below 👇
BPRI and the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce would like to track tariff impacts in our local community.
This survey is directed at businesses in Whatcom County to assess perceptions of tariffs, trade irritants, and changes to cross-border travel.
👇
wwu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Upcoming World Issues Forum talk: The Island of Ireland after Brexit. Follow the link for more details 👇foundation.wwu.edu/event/island-ireland-aft...
@bpri.bsky.social director Dr. Laurie Trautman and CFR’s Edward Alden speaking about their new book at Village Books! @edwardalden.bsky.social
cross-border electricity between Canada and the US
If the trade war continues - and for how long - remains tbd. But the fact is- Americans flipping the lights on is connected to electricity production in a Canada. Border states and provinces are interconnected. This uncertainty impacts every aspect of daily life for many on both sides of the border.
In Quebec, premier François Legault did not exclude the option to cut off power as a response to the tariffs, a decision that would impact the equivalent of 1.23 million of US homes.
Ontario, which powered the equivalent of 1.29 million US homes in 2023, premier Doug Ford said that if #tariffs persist, he will impose a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to three US states - Michigan, New York and Minnesota - and is willing to fully shut down power lines going to the US.
Canada's #counter-tariffs response does not, at the moment, include export #tariffs on #energy. However, that doesn't mean there won't be impacts. The premiers of the two provinces supplying most of the electricity exported to the US are considering all options - including shutting off the power.
Every day, electricity crosses the #Canada-US #border. In 2023, Canada provided power equal to electricity consumption by 4.58 million homes. On Tuesday, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on energy imports from Canada, which will most likely translate to higher utility bills for these millions of home.
Not only that, but immediate direct and indirect impacts from #tariffs may also lower Boeing’s attractiveness, and in the longer run, give an advantage to its competitors, most notably Airbus, leading to potential additional job and revenue losses for Washington state and Quebec.
But tariffs impacts may also be indirect for the #aerospace industry: lower demand for travel especially from Canadians (whether as protest to the tariffs or due to lower value of the CAD) could impact orders, which in turn may limit future research and development opportunities.