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The head of one of Canada’s largest supermarket chains says the vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the U.S.-Canada border is raising the cost of shipping fresh food. But so far, it has had little impact on the retailer’s ability to stock shelves.

Starting Jan. 22, travelers entering the United States at land ports of entry — notably along the Canadian and Mexican borders — and ferry points who are not U.S. citizens must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Department of °®¶¹´«Ã½land Security announced.

As of Jan. 15 new, tougher COVID-19 vaccine requirements took place for people to cross from the U.S. into Canada. That applies to truck drivers and other essential workers.

More stringent COVID-19 vaccine requirements set to take effect at the borders may put new pressure on freight traffic between the United States and Canada, experts said.

Government leaders in Ontario and Michigan have partnered to advance transportation and mobility technologies in a cross-border testing setting.

Truck crossings between the states of Michigan and New York and the province of Ontario were fairly steady last year, declining just .42% versus 2016 levels, according to a report from the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association.

The United States carried more freight by value with its North American Free Trade Agreement partners in October 2017 than in October 2016, according to a study released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics Jan. 4.

Canada and Mexico are holding firm in their resistance to addressing America’s most contentious proposed changes to NAFTA in the latest talks, with the parties making some slow progress on areas of greater consensus.

Trade representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico have begun talks aimed at resetting terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a process that is expected to take many months to conclude and which could have profound implications for freight carriers and the supply chain operations of companies in all three countries.