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As Canada's Freedom Convoy trucker protest continues, some U.S. truckers are having trouble traveling between the two countries, having to take hours-long detours to reach an unblocked border.
The drivers are protesting a vaccine mandate for all truckers going between the U.S. and Canada. The demonstrators recently blocked Detroit's Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario. This is the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing, accounting for about one-quarter of all trade between the two countries, the Associated Press reported.
The blockage has caused truckers from the Detroit area to drive 70 miles north to Port Huron where they cross Blue Water Bridge, though even at that bridge, there is about a 4 1/2-hour delay, the AP reported.
A trucker who has been in the business for 40 years told WJBK-TV that he has never seen anything like the current heavy traffic on the Blue Water Bridge.
Officials in Detroit and Windsor are concerned about how the blockade will affect their economies. Car companies in the two cities have especially been feeling the strain.
"When this bridge is closed for an hour, the auto sector notices," Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said.
Ford said it had to shut down one of its Canadian plants on Wednesday and operate another at a reduced capacity on Thursday, according to AP. GM also had to cancel shifts on Wednesday and Thursday, while Toyota said three of its Canadian plants could not manufacture anything due to supply shortages. Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, also reported supply shortages and had to cut some shifts short but did not have to close any factories, AP added.
Ford expressed concern with the situation in a statement.
"This interruption on the Detroit-Windsor bridge hurts customers, auto workers, suppliers, communities and companies on both sides of the border," it said. "We hope this situation is resolved quickly because it could have widespread impact on all automakers in the U.S. and Canada."
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Canadian truckers should be aware of effect the protest could have on inflation and the supply chain, adding that the Biden Administration and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer are monitoring the situation at the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The trucker protest, which began in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, started blocking the bridge on Monday, causing it to close for the first time in decades. It appears to be having an effect on policymakers. On Tuesday, Newsweek reported that Saskatchewan became the first province to announce it would end all COVID-19 restrictions, while Alberta and Quebec won't be far behind.
Update 2/10/22, 11:50 a.m. ET: This story was updated to add more information and quotes from Ford and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
