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Beyond the Border Action Plan to Enhance Jobs and Benefits for the Pacific Northwest
For Immediate Release
7 December 2011
Obama - Harper Border Action Plan
President Barack Obama and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper met today in Washington, D.C. and released a New Action Plan for U.S.-Canada Cooperation.
"These agreements represent the most significant step forward in Canada-U.S. co-operation since the North American Free Trade Agreement," Harper said Wednesday in Washington, D.C. with U.S. President Barack Obama.
President Obama said, "We're going to make it easier to conduct the trade and travel that creates jobs."
The Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan identifies concrete steps to increase jobs and trade between the US and Canada and procedures to align regulations on products between our two nations. The joint action plan was developed through a coordinated consultative process and is intended to produce specific outcomes and timelines to improve border security and enhance economic cooperation by streamlining regulations to increase trade. It outlines specific steps the US and Canada are working on to better partner in trade, provide security in a risk based approach, and make it easier for legitimate goods and travel to take place between our two countries, enhancing our joint competitiveness in global markets.
The Action Plan lays out a structure with responsibilities and timelines for success. It is a first step, and it will require leadership on both sides of the border to implement innovative solutions that improve the current trading and security relationship between the U.S. and Canada. The plan serves as a much needed framework for U.S. and Canadian Agencies to work collaboratively with stakeholders to build solutions for the future that make all of our businesses more competitive in the global marketplace.
Of notable interest here in the northwest related to our Cascades Train service from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, B.C., US Customs will conduct full preclearance of travellers and accompanying goods at Vancouver, B.C., for passenger rail and cruise ship traffic destined to the United States. Negotiations to this end will be completed by the end of 2012.
Under the action plan, companies will have a "single window" to submit all import data electronically rather than requiring up to 17 different forms.
More than $1.6 billion in goods and services as well as 300,000 people cross the Canada-United States border every day - that's over a million dollars a minute. More than 8 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Canada. - with over 360,000 jobs in the 5 northwest states alone. Canada is the most important foreign export destination for 34 U.S. states, and Canada buys more goods and services from the United States than Germany and China combined. Finally, in 2010 the increase in exports to Canada alone was greater than all US trade with Brazil, double all US trade with India, and triple all US trade with Russia.
These numbers point to an excellent opportunity to look to our closest neighbour to increase jobs and enhance our economic recovery. Rep. Mike Schaufler of Oregon, President of PNWER said, "We applaud the leadership of President Obama and Prime Minister Harper and look forward to see many innovative solutions designed, built, and implemented here in the Pacific Northwest."
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is a public/private non-profit created by statute in 1991 by the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
For additional information, please contact:
Matt Morrison
Executive Director
Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER)
Phone: 206-443-7723
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View the Action Plan
For more information on projects outlined in the Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan, view the complete Action Plan http://www.borderactionplan-plandactionfrontalier.gc.ca/psec-scep/assets/pdfs/bap_report-paf_rapport-eng-dec2011.pdf
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| Highlights of the Action Plan: |
- Enhancement of NEXUS program in enrolment and compliance, immediately recognize NEXUS members for trusted traveller lanes at passenger preboard screening points for flights from Canada to the United States and jointly promote expansion of trusted traveler programs.
- Expand NEXUS lanes and booths at the following locations in the PNWER region: Abbotsford, B.C.; Aldergrove, B.C.; Douglas, B.C.; Pacific Highway, B.C.;
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection will conduct full preclearance of travellers and accompanying goods at Vancouver, B.C., for passenger rail and cruise ship traffic destined to the United States.
- Initiate a one-year pilot, by June 2012, to provide for advance review and clearance of official certification and alternative approaches to import-inspection activities for fresh meat.
- Both countries will provide traders with a single window through which they can electronically submit all information required to comply with customs and other government regulations; this information would then be assessed electronically by the relevant government departments and agencies, resulting in border-related decisions which would be transmitted electronically.
- Canada and the United States will adopt a common framework for trusted trader programs that will align requirements, enhance member benefits and provide applicants with the opportunity to submit one application to multiple programs.
- Develop a harmonized approach to screening inbound cargo and passenger baggage screening under the principle of "cleared once, accepted twice."
- Canada will make significant investments in physical infrastructure at key crossings to relieve congestion and speed the movement of traffic across the border. This includes the North Portal, Saskatchewan crossing
- Coordinate plans for physical infrastructure upgrades at small and remote ports of entry that includes agreements on hours of operation, technology-only processing solutions, joint or co-managed facilities and aligned plans for expansions and closures
- Implementation of a border wait-time measurement system at mutually determined high priority Canada-United States border crossings. Installation of the border wait-time measurement system will be completed over the next three years at the top 20 crossings
- Canada and the United States will develop integrated cross-border law enforcement operations, including deploying regularized Shiprider teams.
- Develop and implement processes, procedures and policies to enable an effective, shared understanding of activities, threats and criminal trends or other consequences in the air, land and maritime environments. This will be achieved through intelligence analysis, effective and timely information sharing, a common understanding of the environment, and an inventory of current capabilities.
- Implementation of a binational radio interoperability system between Canadian and U.S. border enforcement personnel to permit law enforcement agencies to coordinate effective binational investigations and timely responses to border incidents, while improving both officer and public safety.
- Implementation of the Canada-United States Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure, including by executing programs and developing joint products to enhance cross-border critical infrastructure protection and resilience.
- Finalize a guide that outlines best practices and considerations for border traffic management in the event of an emergency to support planning at individual border crossings.
- Collaboration at the regional level between countries to facilitate maritime commerce recovery following an emergency.
- Establish binational plans and capabilities for emergency management, with a focus on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) events.
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