Cross-border order pickups decline in small Montana community [Video]

A once-vital service helping Canadians avoid international shipping fees has seen a dramatic drop in clientele since a trade war between Canada and the U.S. began.

Amie Lindskog has owned At the Border Storage for 16 years. The Sweetgrass, Mont., facility receives and holds packages for its clients. Lindskog says 100 per cent of her customers are Canadian.

“[Business has] dropped,” said Lindskog. “A few weeks ago, I would have said 30 to 35 per cent. Now, maybe a little more.”

In contrast, about an hour north of the small border community, some Lethbridge businesses are reporting an increase in customer traffic since the so called “Buy Canadian” movement began. Penny Warris, co-owner of Analog Books in the city’s downtown core, says her store has seen 25 per cent more transactions in the last three months compared to this time last year.

“We’re thinking that people are actually looking at …