New Brunswickers heading to the St. Stephen border this Labour Day weekend can expect longer wait times.

Up to 4,500 New Brunswick vehicles will make the crossing, predicts Duane Ingram, the chief of operations with the Canada Border Services Agency at the St. Stephen crossing.

"A lot of people are taking advantage of the new exemption limits” that took effect June 1," he said.

Canadians are travelling to the United States in record numbers.

In June, Canadians made 1.9 million overnight trips to the U.S. — the highest on record.

Ingram suspects many are drawn by the new 24-hour duty free limit, which jumped to $200, up from $50.

Anyone who stays in the U.S. longer than 48 hours can bring back up to $800, twice the old limit.

Retailers paying price

The changes are good for Canadian shoppers looking for cross-border bargains, but they’re hurting Canadian retailers in border communities, said Imelda Gilman, president of the Saint John Board of Trade.

The high Canadian dollar doesn’t help either, she said.

"They can't compete with the price of some products with what they are in the States and some of that has to do with the tariffs that Canadian businesses have to pay."

For anyone who does plan to head to the U.S. this weekend, border officials have some suggestions.

"If you can travel outside the core hours, which are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., you'll get through much quicker because during those core hours things move slowly because we're dealing with higher volumes,” said Ingram.

He also recommends motorists use the new border crossing connected with Route One, rather than the two other crossings in downtown St. Stephen.

Other suggestions to help move the line along include having a passport or birth certificate with accompanying photo identification ready to show, and having receipts for any purchases on hand.

Travellers can also get updates on how long it will take to cross at the St. Stephen border by following the CBSA on Twitter @CBSA_STS.