Border crossings from the Lower Mainland into the United States hit a 15year high last year, according to a recent report out of Washington State.

The Western Washington University compiled the report, showing that Canadians from the region went across the line 13.8 million times in 2012.

And while the numbers don't say why Canadians are heading down south, for Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman, there's no question what people are looking for stateside.

"It's not a surprise," she said. "People are looking for the best price possible when it comes to purchasing a product or service and we're finding that people are willing to wait in line to cross the border for that."

For Huberman and the various businesses her organization represents, the numbers are just a reminder that the federal government needs to do more in making it more appealing for Canadians to stay within their own country when looking for goods and services.

"There are import duties that Canadian retailers must pay that elevates the price of our products so it makes it very hard for us to compete," said Huberman, noting that the SBoT has been lobbying the federal government to introduce policies that would make it easier for Canadian companies to compete.

Things like cheaper flights, groceries, electronics and clothing are big draws for Canadian shoppers, as is gasoline.

"The federal government, especially their next budget, they need to reprioritize how they're thinking about their budget from a philosophical perspective," said Huberman, "Yes they're balancing their budget but also they need to ensure they're making our economy competitive."

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