Cross-border agreement earns praise

OTTAWA: The Canada and US governments have announced the Beyond the Border action plan, which lays out 29 initiatives and aims to streamline operations for businesses on both sides of the border. The Canadian government says inefficiencies at the border cost Canada $16 billion a year. For a decade, businesses have been lobbying for an end to the distinct regulatory requirements on both sides of the border, which they say has cut into the two-way trade between the Canada and the US that now stands at $500 billion year.

On February 4, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and US President Barack Obama issued a declaration called Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The declaration focused on four key areas of: addressing threats early;  trade facilitation, economic growth and jobs; integrated cross-border law enforcement; and infrastructure and cyber-security.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance hailed the deal as a “historic achievement,” noting trucks are the major trans-border freight transport mode between the world’s largest bilateral trading partners. “This is a great day for the trucking industry and the trade community in both countries,” says CTA president David Bradley. “The leaders and the governments of both great nations are to be commended. The action plans effectively balance security and trade imperatives while restoring a meaningful return on investment in the trusted trader programs and creating the opportunity for a more efficient and productive border.”

The measures contained in the plan that CTA supports include:

• Mutual recognition of the trusted trader programs;
• FAST Cards: Governments will examine ways to allow FAST cards to meet requirements of other security programs, involving CBSA, CBP and other government agencies;
• Pre-Inspection: A pilot slated for launch at the Port of Montreal will introduce an “inspect once, accept twice” concept, where freight arriving at the North American border will only be inspected by one Customs agency but will be accepted by both countries:
• Pre-Clearance: USCBP will implement a pre-clearance pilot at a land border by September 2012, where infrastructure limitations contribute to traffic congestion. Facilities at the Peace Bridge would allow trucks to be pre-cleared on the Canadian side of the border by CBP before entering the US; and
• Border Crossing Fees: A commitment to conduct an inventory and assessment examining the rationale and impact for border crossing fees.

IE Canada, the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters, was also pleased by the deal’s announcement. “We are pleased to see that many of the recommendations that IE Canada has made to the two governments are reflected in the Action Plans,” said Joy Nott, president of IE Canada. “The two leaders have set a high level of ambition and it is now incumbent upon government officials and representatives of the trade community on both sides of the border to work together to ensure that we achieve the objectives that have been set out and within the established timeframes.”