Online Sales in Border Town Slows With Weak Canadian Dollar

BLAINE, Wash. (AP) — Fewer Canadians appear to be ordering products online and having it shipped to Washington state as the Canadian dollar weakens against the U.S. dollar.

The Bellingham Herald reports that it had been popular for British Columbia residents to get a mailbox in the Washington border towns of Blaine and Sumas so they could ship products there, saving money on the items and shipping costs.

But British Columbia residents have cut back on those online orders.

A report by Western Washington University's Border Policy Research Institute says online sale are slowing in those communities. State revenue data shows that online sales in the third quarter of 2015 were down 26 percent in Sumas and 22 percent in Blaine compared to a year earlier. Overall in Whatcom County, online sales in the third quarter rose slightly.