Border restrictions continue to hit Whatcom economy, particularly in this city

Whatcom County retailers are being impacted by the U.S.-Canada border restrictions, but a policy report indicates that Blaine is really feeling the brunt of it.

The Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University released an updated report about how much money Canadians spend in Whatcom County. The report estimates Canadians spent $140 million in this area in 2018, which represents 11.5% of Whatcom’’s taxable retail sales.