Two Border Towns, One Economy: Tariffs Test the US-Canada Friendship

International Falls, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario—two border towns that depend on cross-border shopping and family ties—are feeling the sting of Trump-era tariffs and Canada’s retaliation, with Canadians buying more at home and U.S. shops losing Canadian customers. Local officials are limited in influence, and residents fear lasting damage to neighborly relations, even as they hope for a swift tariff resolution and a return to normal trading.