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On the 8th, local time, in the Canadian capital Ottawa, the confrontation between local truck drivers and police continued, while in the border areas of Canada and the United States, local protests also led to the partial closure of important transportation ports. In the already tight supply chain, the two economies have "added to the blockage", causing concerns in the government and business communities.
Truck drivers who held protests blocked the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, on the evening of the 7th. The suspension bridge is the largest land trade route between Canada and the United States, and according to Reuters, the bridge averages about 8,000 freight trucks per day and transports about 500 million Canadian dollars (about $393 million), accounting for about a quarter of the bilateral trade between Canada and the United States.
On the afternoon of the 8th, the lane of the bridge in the direction of the United States has resumed traffic, and the lane into Canada is still closed. In addition, demonstrators blocked cross-border passage between Couts, Alberta, Canada, and the United States. It is understood that the average daily value of goods on this road is about 44 million Canadian dollars (about 35 million US dollars). A total of 60 business organizations in Canada and the United States urged demonstrators to "immediately" stop blocking the ambassador bridge on the 8th, saying that "no group is allowed to disrupt the cross-border trade on which families of the two countries rely."
The protests were sparked by new anti-epidemic regulations announced by the Canadian government in mid-January. The government requires truck drivers travelling between Canada and the United States to produce proof of COVID-19 vaccination when entering the United States.
The U.S. side introduced a similar move a few days later. The protests received public support from some Republican politicians in the United States, and some Americans donated money to the demonstrations. White House press secretary Psaki said on the 8th that the US government has maintained contact with the Canadian government, and the nature of these "disorderly" activities has gone beyond opposing vaccination.
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(Edited by Sun Yonghui)