Border Lines

A roundup of North American news:

There was no shortage of news at the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance's annual Washington, D.C., meeting. The group, which promotes facilitation of U.S.-Canada trade, heard from high-level policymakers in both the U.S. and Canadian governments Some highlights:

The Smart Border Accord on security issues signed last December is moving quickly, according to Chris Hornbarger of the Office of Homeland Security. Deputy Prime Minister John Manley and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge have met half a dozen times since then, he said, adding: "We have made substantial progress on nearly all of the 30 points. Some are essentially done, all are progressing, and none have stalled." Canada, meanwhile, has introduced legislation to address federal/provincial jurisdiction issues that could stand in the way of fully implementing the accord, said Peter Boehm, minister of political affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Washington.

U.S. and Canadian Customs authorities will soon begin using X-ray and gamma ray inspection equipment for railcar and intermodal shipments. Representatives of the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railroads expressed concern that shipments would be delayed if trains must be disassembled and reconstituted at border crossings to allow physical inspections by customs authorities. They want outbound shipments to be inspected prior to loading on railcars and inbound shipments to be surveyed at the destination railyard. To do that, said William Heffelfinger, U.S. Customs assistant commissioner for field operations, railroads would have to guarantee the security of each car or container en route to inspection points.

A working group of U.S. and Canadian highway authorities is surveying border infrastructure needs and will investigate possible funding sources, said Cynthia Burbank, associate administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. The group also will act as a clearinghouse for border crossing information for other federal agencies, she noted, and will evaluate technologies that could speed up vehicle movements.

Minister of National Revenue Elinor Caplan, M.P., reviewed steps that Canada has taken to improve border security, such as the planned deployment of 14 additional Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, which include both Canadian and U.S. Border Patrol personnel; the purchase of 10 gamma-ray container examination systems for the ports of Halifax, Montreal and Vancouver; and the addition of 369 customs inspectors. She also confirmed that talks were under way about constructing three U.S.-Canada joint customs facilities in 2003 and outlined the benefits of the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program (see Border Lines, Oct. 2002).

NAFTA Notes: A. Duie Pyle Inc. has expanded its Canadian coverage to include Western Canada. The West Chester, Pa.-based LTL carrier now offers service to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territories, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as to its original service areas in Eastern Canada and the Maritime Provinces. The company says it has a 98-percent on-time delivery record from the United States to Canada. Danzas North America has named Hugh McMaster, a 23-year veteran of the maritime industry, director of ocean and projects for Canada. Danzas also announced the appointment of Troy Cowen as district manager in Vancouver.