The federal government says a statement from the Canada Border Services Agency that said Canadian truckers would be exempt from a new COVID-19 vaccination requirement was provided in error.

Federal officials say today the vaccine mandate for truckers crossing into Canada from the United States will come into effect this Saturday as planned.

There was no explanation for the incorrect information emailed to media more than 20-hours earlier.

The federal Conservatives, as well as trade groups representing oil, manufacturing and export companies, had called on Ottawa this week to postpone the January 15th deadline.

The cabinet ministers say unvaccinated American big-riggers will be turned back at the border, with the U.S. preparing to impose similar restrictions on Canadian truckers on Jan. 22.

Government representatives offered no explanation for the incorrect information emailed to media more than 20 hours earlier.

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, adding further bottlenecks and potential price hikes to the flow of goods ranging from food to medical devices.