The federal government says the vaccine mandate for truckers crossing into Canada from the United States will come into effect Saturday as planned.
That's despite a previous statement from the Canada Border Services Agency that said Canadian truck drivers would be exempt.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos along with the transport and public safety ministers say the CBSA statement from Wednesday evening was ``provided in error.''
They say Canadian truckers must be vaccinated if they want to avoid quarantine and a pre-arrival molecular test, starting this weekend.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance and the American Trucking Associations say up to 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers who make regular cross-border trips will be sidelined as a result of the mandate.
And they warn that will add further bottlenecks and potential price hikes to the flow of goods ranging from produce to auto parts and medical devices.