An Alaska federal lawmaker has handed down a challenge to Canada as the North American trade war escalates. Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has called on Congress and the Trump Administration to allow an exemption for US cruise ships to skip Canada port calls on Alaska itineraries.
In a talk radio interview, the Senator said he would seek an exemption from the rule, which requires a mandatory port call in Canada for US cruise departures to Alaska.
Senator Wants Passenger Vessel Services Act Exemption
Sullivan said: “Canada, you don’t want to mess with Alaska. We’re going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports. That’ll help our economy tremendously and it’ll really hurt their tourism.”
However, it could hurt cruise tourism spending as about 10% of passenger traffic comes from Canada, says Jillian Simpson, president of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. Cruise itineraries departing the US West Coast make calls in Canada en route to Alaska. These ports include Victoria and Vancouver, BC.
Some Canadians have already canceled Alaska cruises, says Amra Durakovic, head of communications at Flight Centre Travel Group Canada. “This is such a fluid situation. We’ve never seen anything like this,” she said.
Sullivan says he will ask Congress to pass a law or seek an executive order from the White House. British Columbia Premier David Eby ramped up tensions after announcing BC would place tolls on US trucking carrying goods to Alaska.
Sullivan claims an effective cruise boycott of Canada could cost it “billions” in lost revenue.
The exemption Sullivan is asking for is related to the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886.
It states foreign registered ships cannot transport passengers between two US ports without an intermediate call at a foreign port of call. A majority of the larger cruise ships that serve Alaska are foreign flagged.
An exemption to the law was allowed in 2021 when the US cruise industry restarted after the pandemic, while Canadian ports remain closed.
