TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Chamber of Commerce reports clogged border crossings are sucking $5.25 billion a year out of the economy.

“Both the federal and provincial governments have made small gestures towards fixing our ailing border crossings,” said Len Crispino, President and CEO of the OCC. “But, frankly, the gestures we have seen are not nearly sufficient for the size and scope of the problem.”

Border delays affect every individual and business in the province, according to the chamber of commerce report.

Twenty-five per cent of Ontarians are directly employed because of the province’s exports to the United States.

Since 1989, trade with the U.S. has grown by 152 per cent, leading to an increase of 122 per cent in commercial traffic across the border, reports the chamber of commerce.

By the year 2030, delays in the Detroit-Windsor corridor alone will result in direct costs to Canada and the U.S. of more than $17.8 billion a year and will result in over 70,000 jobs lost in Canada. Currently, both the Canadian and American economies are losing a staggering $13.6 billion annually from their economies due to delays at the border.