Duty free shops say they're still losing sales as cross-border travel plummets

Duty free shop owners in Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario, are reporting significant business losses due to plummeting cross-border traffic, with sales down approximately 30% year-over-year. Abe Taqtaq, owner of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel duty free shop, expressed concern about January, traditionally the slowest period, and hinted at potential downsizing if conditions persist. Statistics Canada data shows return road trips from Canada to the U.S. fell 30.2% in October, a decline that has exceeded 30% year-over-year since March. U.S. Customs and Border Protection data indicates passenger vehicle traffic from Windsor to Detroit dropped 5.9% and from Point Edward (Sarnia) to Port Huron fell 27% from January 1 to November 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Tania Lee, co-owner of Blue Water Duty Free in Sarnia and president of the Frontier Duty Free Association, reported similar sales declines and noted that one store in Woodstock, New Brunswick, has already closed, with others in British Columbia and Manitoba at risk. The association is seeking federal support through repayable loans and regulatory relief.