‘You are our friends’: Vermont resort speaks directly to Canadians about Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods

As the Trump administration escalates its trade war with Canada, Jay Peak Resort in Vermont is making clear that its relationship with their northern neighbors remains strong. 

“The border has always been a line we’ve crossed. It never felt like a line between us,” Jay Peak General Manager Steve Wright wrote in a message to the community Wednesday.

“However [as] all of this sorts itself out — and eventually it will — know this: The border may feel different right now. We do not. You are our neighbors. You are our friends. You are part of this place,” Wright continued. 

Wright, who testified before Congress in 2025 about the impacts of Trump’s tariffs on his resort and community, said Jay Peak’s relationship with Canada runs deep, with many generations of Canadian families visiting the four-season mountain resort. 

Jay Peaks sits in northern Vermont’s Green Mountains, about 10 to 11 miles from the Canadian border crossing near North Troy, Vermont, and Highwater, Quebec — the closest entrance to the resort.  

“We understand that, right now, some Canadians are making difficult decisions about traveling to the United States. We understand why,” Wright wrote. “And while we’re not particularly interested in telling anyone what to think about tariffs, trade policy, or politics, we do have an opinion about anything that makes good neighbors feel farther apart. We don’t like it.” 

The message comes as the President Donald Trump’s administration continues to ramp up its trade fight with Canada. 

In July, Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on most Canadian goods, saying Canada has unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol, and dairy products. On Monday, Trump announced another 50 percent tariffs on Canadian automotive and steel imports that, absent a deal, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

The following day, Canada fired back with retaliatory tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances, and farm equipment. 

The escalating trade dispute has particular significance in Vermont, where Canada is the state’s largest international partner, Vermont Gov. Philip Scott said in a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on July 23. 

In the letter, Scott urged the secretary to reconsider the additional tariffs on Canadian goods. He acknowledged the U.S.-Canada relationship “is not perfect,” but described Canada as a “longstanding ally, neighbor, security partner, and essential part of the North American economy.” 

“At a time when working families are already struggling with the cost of housing, food, transportation, energy, healthcare, and other necessities, the states need the national government to be much more cautious about policies that further increase the price of building a home, operating a small business, maintaining a vehicle, or purchasing everyday goods,” Scott wrote.