Border Lines

A roundup of North American news:

The National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade (NLCIFT) is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The organization, located at the University of Arizona in Tucson, works to develop legal infrastructures that eliminate barriers to free trade throughout the Western Hemisphere. Scholars at the center, which has been deeply involved in promoting seamless borders under NAFTA, are developing a North American bill of lading, working on standardizing cross-border trucking practices, and studying the effects of changes in Mexico's maquiladora program on U.S.-Mexico trade. NLCIFT founder and director Dr. Boris Kozolchyk recently presided at a celebration marking the construction of the center's permanent home, due to open this fall. For more information, visit www.natlaw.com.

The speakers' roster at the spring meeting of the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance in Ottawa was a veritable Who's Who of Canadian policymakers. Attendees heard presentations by Deputy Prime Minister John Manley, Minister of National Revenue Elinor Caplan, Assistant Commissioner Denis Lefebvre of Canada Customs and Revenue, and Deputy Minister of Transport Louis Ranger, among others. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci also addressed the group. The conference covered a wide range of topics, including the strategic direction of Canada Customs, current border management problems and possible solutions, the "Smart Border" initiative and U.S.-Canada trade policies. The next meeting will be held Sept. 22–24 in Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Can/Am BTA at (716) 754-8824 or e-mail canambta@aol.com.

The insurance industry is ready for Mexican motor carriers to roll across the U.S. border in mid-July, according to the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII). David M. Golden, NAII's director of commercial lines, said he was satisfied that the U.S. Department of Transportation's rules on insurance for Mexican motor carriers operating in the United States had addressed the insurance industry's concerns. "We are pleased that the implementation rules require Mexican trucking companies to have valid insurance from a U.S.-licensed insurance company and that vehicles will only be able to enter the United States at commercial border crossings when a certified inspector is on duty," he said. Golden, speaking after the recent trilateral Land Transportation Conference in San Antonio, Texas, also urged the Mexican government to allow insurers access to a new database that will track Mexican drivers' hours of service, licensing status and safety records. This access, he said, would help U.S. insurers assess the risks associated with insuring Mexican carriers operating in this country.

NAFTA Notes: BAX Global Inc. has expanded its "BAXSaver" service into Mexico. Shippers now can get time-definite, door-to-door delivery from the United States and Canada to major cities in Mexico. The distance-based, zone-priced transportation service initially is available to Mexico City, Guadalajara, Saltillo, Chihuahua, San Luis Potosíand Monterrey. Freight forwarder Con-Way Air Express now offers service to more than 30 cities in Canada through gateways in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. Service offerings include the "Sentry" guaranteed delivery system, which uses Internet-based technology to identify problems and prevent delivery failures.