Great68
02-17-2011, 07:16 AM
Canadians visiting the U.S. may soon have to pay for it.
U.S. President Barack Obama is proposing a $5.50 "passenger inspection fee" for Canadians. The proposal is contained in the 2012 draft budget he submitted to Congress on Monday.
Until now, visitors from Canada -- as well as from Mexico and selected Caribbean countries -- have enjoyed a waiver from the fee. But Obama's budget blueprint notes that charging the fee to Canadians would add millions to U.S. government coffers and would help offset the costs of increasingly intensive air-passenger inspections.
The charge would apply only to those arriving by air or ship, not private vehicles. That's likely to please the growing number of Canadian vacationers who drive across the border before flying to their holiday destinations.
According to Statistics Canada, some 16 million Canadians flew into the U.S. in 2009. The $5.50 head tax would add almost US$90 million to U.S. government coffers.
The U.S. is by far the most visited destination for Canadian tourists, who took 4.1 million trips to its southern neighbour in December, according to statistics reported on Thursday.
In all, Canadian residents took 4.8 million trips abroad in the last month of 2010, up 2.3 per cent from the previous month.
Same-day car travel to the U.S. rose 6.7 per cent to 2.3 million trips in December, the highest level in three years, while air travel in December rose 1.1. per cent to 592,000 trips.
Travel from the U.S. to Canada, however, declined 1.6 per cent to 1.7 million trips in December.
The proposed fee comes just a week after Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama agreed to a deal that would establish a North American security and trade perimeter.
With files from The Canadian Press
Well I already don't have a huge desire to visit the U.S., this just gave me more reason not to.
U.S. President Barack Obama is proposing a $5.50 "passenger inspection fee" for Canadians. The proposal is contained in the 2012 draft budget he submitted to Congress on Monday.
Until now, visitors from Canada -- as well as from Mexico and selected Caribbean countries -- have enjoyed a waiver from the fee. But Obama's budget blueprint notes that charging the fee to Canadians would add millions to U.S. government coffers and would help offset the costs of increasingly intensive air-passenger inspections.
The charge would apply only to those arriving by air or ship, not private vehicles. That's likely to please the growing number of Canadian vacationers who drive across the border before flying to their holiday destinations.
According to Statistics Canada, some 16 million Canadians flew into the U.S. in 2009. The $5.50 head tax would add almost US$90 million to U.S. government coffers.
The U.S. is by far the most visited destination for Canadian tourists, who took 4.1 million trips to its southern neighbour in December, according to statistics reported on Thursday.
In all, Canadian residents took 4.8 million trips abroad in the last month of 2010, up 2.3 per cent from the previous month.
Same-day car travel to the U.S. rose 6.7 per cent to 2.3 million trips in December, the highest level in three years, while air travel in December rose 1.1. per cent to 592,000 trips.
Travel from the U.S. to Canada, however, declined 1.6 per cent to 1.7 million trips in December.
The proposed fee comes just a week after Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama agreed to a deal that would establish a North American security and trade perimeter.
With files from The Canadian Press
Well I already don't have a huge desire to visit the U.S., this just gave me more reason not to.