WASHINGTON – White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the US government is "very closely" monitoring trucker demonstrations in Canada.

According to sources, Psaki expressed alarm to reporters during a daily briefing about a trucker blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, Canada's busiest link to the US, which accounts for about a quarter of trade between the two countries.

"The blockade poses a risk to the auto industry's supply chains because the bridge is a critical conduit for motor vehicles, components, and parts; delays risk disrupting auto production," she said, adding that they are also "tracking potential disruptions to US agricultural exports from Michigan into Canada."

Truckers honked in protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates in Ottawa, which has paralysed parts of the Canadian capital for the past two weeks. On Sunday, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson announced a state of emergency, calling the situation "totally out of control."

According to reports, the US Department of Homeland Security has issued a warning to law enforcement agencies across the country that similar protests could occur shortly.

The Department issued a bulletin to state and local officials on Tuesday, stating that it "has received reports of truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities across the United States in protest of, among other things, vaccine mandates for truck drivers."

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