Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing ahead with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for international truckers despite increasing pressure from critics who say it will exacerbate driver shortages and drive up the price of goods imported from the United States.
Canada will require all truckers entering from the U.S. to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination starting on Saturday (Jan 15). That could force some 16,000 cross-border drivers off the roads, the Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates.
The mandate is the first policy taken since the pandemic began that could limit cross-border trucking traffic. Trucks crossed the border freely when the border was closed for 20 months because they were considered essential to keep supply chains flowing.
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