Why Canadian Entrepreneurs Are Turning Their Backs on U.S. Business Trips — And I Don’t Blame Them

There was a time when crossing the border for a business convention in the U.S. felt as routine as ordering a morning coffee. A quick flash of a passport, a polite exchange with border officials, and you were on your way to the next big opportunity. But that sense of ease has eroded — and for many Canadians, especially those in minority communities or holding dual citizenships, it’s now tinged with anxiety, unpredictability, and a growing sense of risk.

Oscar Acosta, the CEO of Ottawa-based startup Body M3canix, had everything lined up for a string of important conventions in the U.S. Hotel rooms were booked. Tires replaced. His dog’s passport was issued. But then, he pulled the plug on all of it.

What changed? Fear. Not just hypothetical, abstract fear — but real stories of people like Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian entrepreneur who was detained for nearly two weeks and banned from the U.S. for five years after trying to renew her work visa. Acosta saw himself in that story — a fellow entrepreneur, a visible minority, someone who has to think twice now before engaging with the American market.

And he’s not alone.

Across Canada, entrepreneurs and corporations are reevaluating their travel plans to the U.S., and in many cases, cancelling them outright. According to Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, business travel between Canada and the U.S. by air dropped nearly 40 per cent year-over-year in February. That’s not a blip — that’s a signal.

The reasons are layered, but they all funnel back to one overarching concern: the environment in the U.S. under the Trump administration has become too unpredictable, too hostile — and simply not worth the risk for many. From tariff threats to inflammatory rhetoric about Canada, and now border detentions that seem to target minorities and foreign workers, the cost of doing business in the U.S. now includes more than just airfare and hotels — it includes personal safety, dignity, and peace of mind.

Businesses aren’t blind to the risks. Banking, insurance, manufacturing — industries that once depended on cross-border collaboration are now pulling the emergency brake. Some, like Royal LePage, are pushing forward with events in the States, despite backlash and concerns from staff. But even then, there’s no ignoring the internal conflict. As their CEO put it in a memo, “Cancelling now would only hurt our own network — not Trump and not the U.S. economy.” He’s right in a way, but the fact that this kind of justification even needs to be made is telling.

This isn’t just about politics. It’s about trust. For entrepreneurs like Acosta, missing conferences isn’t just inconvenient — it’s potentially a missed lifeline for investment and exposure. But when the cost of opportunity includes being profiled, detained, or banned for five years, that opportunity starts to look more like a gamble.

The fallout extends well into the future. Corporate events as far out as 2027 are already being reconsidered. Canadian companies are now looking at Mexico, Europe, or domestic venues instead of risking a U.S. trip.

This isn’t about being anti-American — it’s about being pro-safety, pro-stability, and pro-respect. The border used to be a gateway to growth. Now, for many, it’s a wall of uncertainty. Until that changes, don’t be surprised if more Canadians decide that the risk just isn’t worth it.

And honestly? I can’t blame them.