BPRI is working with the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce to conduct a survey to assess Whatcom County businesses' perceptions and responses to changes in cross-border tourism and shopping last year. Please share!👇 wwu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

The new "territorial spark" piece @stevenradil.bsky.social & Jaume Castan Pinos goes beyond the original provocation - showing why academic critique matters: scholarly debate sharpens concepts rather than shuts them down. My text they are responding to in the comments. doi.org/10.1080/1356...

The territorial spark: integrating territorial discontents into the contemporary border assemblage

This essay clarifies the ‘territorial discontents' framework in response to Laine’s Beyond territorial discontents: The surprising persistence of borders in a fragmented world (2025) critique publi...

doi.org

”Border fences create a dangerous illusion that human mobility can be contained through territorial control, yet their very presence generates a self-perpetuating cycle of insecurity...” @acbsnetwork.bsky.social @bpri.bsky.social @big-lab.bsky.social @unigr-cbs.bsky.social doi.org/10.1080/0886...

Fencing Off Europe: Border Fortifications as Symptomatic Responses to Hybrid Insecurities in Poland and Finland

Despite post-Cold War hopes for openness, twenty-first century Europe has witnessed a resurgence of border fortifications, driven by anxieties about migration, security threats, and geopolitical te...

doi.org

Tomorrow February 18th online! BPRI Director Laurie Trautman will be moderating an important discussion digging into the North American relationship and addressing some big questions for US relations with our northern and southern neighbors...

Upcoming event! The Future of Borders with Laurie Trautman and @edwardalden.bsky.social Saturday, Feb. 7, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham Follow the link for more details 👉https://wcls.libcal.com/event/15670761

I've never canceled a long-planned European vacation before. But this month, I did. So I've written about how belittling and threatening countries affects #tourism, both into the US and now heading out, in a @cascadiadaily.com guest commentary (free to read). www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/jan/26/...

Guest Writer: Borders, tourists and the Trump travel effect | Cascadia Daily News

What Canada felt in 2025, Europe feels in 2026

cascadiadaily.com

📣 New publication alert! Our new Brief highlights changes to US border policy – both proposed and implemented – that may ‘thicken’ the border crossing experience by increasing processing times, and potentially wait times for both Canadians and for non-Canadians traveling from Canada to the US.

As we enter 2026, there are many reflections to be made about the last year's shift in CB travel in our region. Border crossings from Canadians into Whatcom County in 2025 decreased 36% from the previous year. As with all our infographics, you can find them here 👉https://bpri.wwu.edu/infographics

If you want to hear our perspective on what we saw in terms of Canadian travel habits to Whatcom County in 2025 and how this is likely the new normal for 2026, see the CTV News interview below.

Frank Catalano@frankcatalano.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The impact of tariffs, "51st state" rhetoric and increased border hassles (plus a weak Canadian dollar) on crossings from BC into the US at Whatcom County? Down an average of 38%, year to year, in the last five months of 2025. Thoughts from @bpri.bsky.social on CTV. www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

Cascadia has long been considered a model of strong cross-border collaboration, however, it is not immune to policy shifts or emerging challenges that could disrupt its long-standing relationships.

Please join us as Laurie Trautman, Ginny Broadhurst, @sharonshewmake.bsky.social, @uscanada-sands.bsky.social and Derek Moscato discuss how increased tensions are impacting our cross-border region and the efforts to overcome them. When: Online, June 11 at 4pm PT foundation.wwu.edu/event/trust-...

We've been hearing about drops in Canadians crossing the border in the Cascade Gateway in 2025. The data tells us that we're seeing a significant drop in SB Canadian travelers so far. This has numerous implications for our local border communities. Take a look at BPRI's newest infographic below 👇

BPRI and the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce would like to track tariff impacts in our local community. This survey is directed at businesses in Whatcom County to assess perceptions of tariffs, trade irritants, and changes to cross-border travel. 👇 wwu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Upcoming World Issues Forum talk: The Island of Ireland after Brexit. Follow the link for more details 👇https://foundation.wwu.edu/event/island-ireland-after-brexit

@bpri.bsky.social director Dr. Laurie Trautman and CFR’s Edward Alden speaking about their new book at Village Books! @edwardalden.bsky.social

Every day, electricity crosses the #Canada-US #border. In 2023, Canada provided power equal to electricity consumption by 4.58 million homes. On Tuesday, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on energy imports from Canada, which will most likely translate to higher utility bills for these millions of home.

The third installment from our #BPRI #Trade infographic series focuses on #aerospace. In Seattle & Montreal aerospace leads to economic growth and innovation. Just like cars in the Detroit-Windsor region, planes and parts are traded between us and allow us to travel around the world.

Here is our next infographic trying to provide some context for how the #tariffs and counter-tariffs might impact Washington's economy (and you if you like our craft brews!)

Very proud to see BPRI’s expertise contribute to this @apnews.com story on the regional implications of #tariffs in our various #borderland communities. @wwu.edu

Andréanne Bissonnette@andybissonnette.bsky.social · last yr.

Our @bpri.bsky.social Trade in the Borderlands is featured in @apnews.com! Tariffs will impact companies, communities & people on both sides of our shared border. In border comm. they not only will have $$ impacts but also ripple effects on social ties & daily life apnews.com/article/trum...

With what appears to be imminent #tariffs - and counter tariffs - there are some place-specific ways that we'll feel the squeeze. Here in the NW corner of Washington, raspberries are one of them. #BPRI will be releasing a series of these infographics to put some context to the numbers for #Cascadia

BPRI was happy to contribute to this upcoming edited volume, and it couldn't be more timely. BPRI specifically looked at #cross-#border regions along the CA-US border to contend that governance is at its strongest and most innovative at the #regional scale.

Association for Borderlands Studies@absborders.bsky.social · 2y ago

📚New book This new book explores the formation and evolution of trade and economic integration in North America since the implementation of the 1994 NAFTA, featuring contributions from several ABS members. www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/the...

Great piece by #WWU #Journalism Professor Dr. Derek Moscato in the Salish Current.

Borderlands anxiety prompts wider reflection on bioregionalism

Commentary: Political shifts necessitate broader economic and environmental reflection in our cross-border region.

salish-current.org

Our region is a model for how two nations can work together to advance shared interests. It's at risk with recent wall- building measures at the border. Check out Dr. Trautman and @edwardalden.bsky.social alden.bsky.social's most recent Op-Ed in the @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social to learn more.

In this NBC article, Dr. Trautman argues that the US is losing much more than we gain from all the chaos of threatening our strongest trade partners with #tariffs. www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...

Some tariff concessions from Canada and Mexico touted by Trump lack substance, experts say

Analysts, including conservative commentators, note that some policies America’s neighbors promised to avoid trade duties were already in the works.

nbcnews.com

While the immediate threat of a #trade war is paused, there are numerous spillover effects that impact our social and #economic ties across the #border. bpri.wwu.edu

Really looking forward to this!

Town Hall Seattle@townhallseattle.bsky.social · 2y ago

2/23 at 7:30 PM | Journalist @edwardalden.bsky.social and researcher Laurie Trautman critically assess the shock of the globally sweeping 2020 border closures during the pandemic, as well as the implications for international migration. https://buff.ly/40wleuY

Recommended reading 👇

Edward Alden@edwardalden.bsky.social · 2y ago

Trump claims he will fix a broken border. Don’t believe a word of it. His actions will make the border more dangerous and more chaotic, with enormous human consequences. My latest in Foreign Policy: foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/23/t...

BPRI's Laurie Trautman weighed into the national conversation regarding Canada’s announcement today to invest over $1 billion on border security to address a wide range of issues.

Canada commits $1.3B to tighten border security after Trump tariff threat | Watch News Videos Online

Watch Canada commits $1.3B to tighten border security after Trump tariff threat Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

globalnews.ca

After changes to its immigration policies earlier this fall, Canadian govt under pressure from internal actors and incoming Trump administration, unveil ambitious border measures, tackling issues from security to fentanyl, and further immigration reforms.

Canadian government announces new border security plan amid Donald Trump tariff threats

The federal government has laid out a five-pillared approach to boosting border security, though it doesn't include specifics about where and how the $1.3-billion funding package earmarked in the fall...

ctvnews.ca

New Launch! Trade in the Borderlands examines the depth and breadth of Canada-US border region's economic relationships, check it out here: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5f9d... @andybissonnette.bsky.social @bittybeetz.bsky.social