Border Lines

A roundup of North American news:

The United States and Canada signed a much-heralded border security agreement in December that specified 30 areas in which the two countries would cooperate. But the details of most of the proposals have yet to be worked out. Canada's Deputy Prime Minister John Manley and U.S. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge met privately at the World Economic Forum in February to discuss the agreement. After their meeting, Manley told a group of reporters from Canadian news outlets that talks were progressing slowly and that he expected announcements regarding implementation of the border security program, scheduled for the G-8 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, in June, would address incremental changes rather than the entire accord. Manley firmly stated that there had been no discussions regarding a customs union between the United States and Canada—an issue that has been the subject of much public discussion in Canada in recent months. "The border stays," he said.

Two conferences of interest to companies that conduct cross-border trade in North America are coming up soon. The Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance's Annual Ottawa Conference offers an opportunity to hear the latest information about laws, regulations and policies affecting U.S.-Canada trade directly from top policymakers, including Deputy Prime Minister John Manley and U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci. For more information on the meeting, scheduled for May 4–6, contact Executive Director Jim Phillips at (716) 754-8824 or e-mail canambta@aol.com. The fourth International Logistics Congress (Congreso Internacional de Logística) will be held May 15–17 in Mexico City. Academics, consultants and practitioners from respected organizations in the United States and Latin America will offer practical advice as well as high-level theory on supply chain management in Latin America, with an emphasis on Mexico. The event will offer simultaneous interpretation, but the program is primarily designed for Spanish speakers. Contact event manager Sintec Consulting in Mexico at (81) 83-35-3773, by e-mail: educacion@sintec.org, or visit www.sintec.org/eventos (Spanish language site).

NAFTA Notes: TheInternational Compliance Center's 2002 catalog is now available. The company offers seminars and products to help shippers comply with Canadian and cross-border hazmat transportation laws and regulations. For a copy, call (800) 554-6181 or visit www.thecompliancecenter.com.Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiaryTronicus has launched VC2 software for tracking and proactive problem resolution for multimodal shipments. VC2, which can track both domestic and international shipments down to the item level, is supported byBridgePoint Technology's logistics networking capabilities.Canadian National will acquire 60 new Dash 9-44CW locomotives fromGeneral Electric Transportation Systems.
The locomotives, scheduled for delivery in phases through the end of 2004, will be more fuel-efficient and less costly to maintain than existing engines.Exel Direct will provide in-home delivery, installation and returns management services toFuture Shop, Canada's largest retailer and online seller of consumer electronics, in Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Exel already provides those services for the retailer in eastern Canada.