The U.S. ambassador to Canada said Washington may need to reassess airport pre-clearance as part of an at-times tense exchange during a forum with Canadian business leaders on Thursday.
The United States has been conducting pre-clearance “under various arrangements” at airports in Canada since 1952. It allows passengers to clear U.S. customs in Canada, so that when they arrive in the U.S. they can avoid waiting in long international lineups.
Addressing the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alta., Pete Hoekstra said pre-clearance locations in Canada are experiencing declining numbers.
“Matter of fact, the numbers are down. We’re not sure we can make the numbers work anymore … pre-clearance is something that is done at the expense of the U.S. government. We paid for it,” he said.
“You know, [if] you can’t make the numbers work anymore — you’re all business people. You know what that means. You’ve got to take a look at some of these things.”
Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat who served as moderator of the forum, later pushed back on those remarks.
WATCH | Pete Hoekstra, Colin Robertson exchange words over airport pre-clearance:
Speaking at a business forum in Banff, Alta., on Sept. 25, 2025, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Washington may need to reassess airport pre-clearance as locations in Canada are experiencing declining numbers. Moderator Colin Robertson, the vice-president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, questions him about the remark later on in the event.
“Pre-clearance was brought in by [president Dwight] Eisenhower. It’s worked really well,” said Robertson, the vice-president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
“When Canadians go to the States — maybe not as many did a year and a half ago or half a year ago — but we’re still going an awful lot. We’re your biggest source of tourism. If you end pre-clearance, doesn’t that cut off your nose to spite your face?”
Hoekstra responded: “Nobody said we’re ending pre-clearance. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“I heard you say, ‘We have to look at it,'” Robertson said.
“These are all business people, all right? If you have a business segment that is down 20 to 25 per cent … you take a look at the why, but you would also have a responsibility to your shareholders or the owner of the company in terms of how you will respond,” Hoekstra said.
Last week, Hoekstra faced some backlash from Canadian politicians after he expressed frustration over the anti-American sentiment he’s heard in Canada since taking the position.
‘It was like a threat’
Speaking to reporters after the interview, Robertson said it was clear to him that the U.S. is reconsidering the long-standing practice.
“To me, it was like a threat, saying, all right, if you don’t come, we’re going to cut out pre-clearance,” he said.
If the U.S. were to proceed with the change, it would be important to understand why, he added.
“But it is something … that will cause hardship to a lot of Canadians if you were to proceed it that way.”
According to the latest Statistics Canada figures from August, the number of Canadians returning by air from the U.S. fell 25.4 per cent compared with the same month last year.
U.S. customs and immigration officers are currently conducting pre-clearance operations at airports in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Move could hurt Canadian carriers: analyst
John Gradek, an aviation management professor with McGill University, said Canadian carriers stand to lose a competitive advantage if U.S. pre-clearance operations at Canadian airports are scaled back or withdrawn.
He added the U.S. ambassador’s comments reflect a long-running dialogue between two close trading partners. But unlike disputes over tariffs or trade, this one directly affects passengers.
“For those people that value time, and time is money, this will add a couple of hours to their trip,” he said.
Gradek said removing the system would reduce the appeal of connecting through Canada. That would hurt Canadian airlines which market their connections via places like Calgary.
“A non-stop flight from London to L.A., or from Paris to San Francisco, when you get to those destinations, you would spend two to three hours in customs,” he said. “Whereas coming through Calgary, you spend 15, 20 minutes going through U.S. customs in Calgary, and you arrive as a domestic passenger in the U.S.
“Those services that are counting on U.S. traffic to complement their Canadian international services will be suffering.”
Gradek added the dispute could be an early sign of tougher U.S. measures on Canadian air travel.
“Stay tuned,” he said. “This one’s not over yet.”
