1 / 21

The Border Challenge

The Border Challenge. TBD BTA October 26, 2007 Montreal, Quebec Canada. Outline. About the BTA Before and After 9/11 Crossing the border Economic Development along the border Transportation The role of Washington What can we do to influence. About the BTA.

Télécharger la présentation

The Border Challenge

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The Border Challenge • TBD • BTA • October 26, 2007 • Montreal, Quebec • Canada

  2. Outline • About the BTA • Before and After 9/11 • Crossing the border • Economic Development along the border • Transportation • The role of Washington • What can we do to influence

  3. About the BTA • Advocate for trade between US, Canada and Mexico for over 20 years. • Three-prong approach • Represent over 1.8 million people • Credibility • Participation in Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory committee to DHS and DOS • Provide testimony at Congressional hearings.

  4. Before and After 9/11 • Personnel, resources and expectations • Different relationship among the three countries • Change of expectations • Challenge: security vs. economic competitiveness • Risk assessment

  5. Crossing the border • Documents • Programs: FAST, ACE/emanifest, SENTRI/NEXUS, WHTI, US VISIT, etc. • Infrastructure • Inspections • Border Fence • Next...

  6. Nogales • E-manifest system went down • BIG Parking Lot • “Just-in-time” delivery? • Communication • Thousands of dollars wasted

  7. NAFTA Trucking • Pilot Project • Safety, Security and documents • Mexican government has to provide requirements • Immigration • The debate

  8. Importance of Trade • Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 8.9 percent higher in 2006 than in 2005, reaching $760 billion. • In 2006, over 6.6 million trucks and over 30 million personal vehicles crossed the U.S.-Canada border. • Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics • http://www.transtats.bts.gov/bordercrossing.aspx

  9. Importance of Trade • Canada is the largest market for U.S. goods exported from U.S. states contiguous to the northern border. • Canada remains the largest trading partner with the United States. Trade with Canada accounts for more than 18 percent of total U.S. trade (exports and imports) globally. • As of Aug. 07, Canada has a year-to-date trade surplus of more than $45 billion on exports of more than $206 billion with the U.S. • Source: Foreign Trade Statistics - U.S. Census Bureau • http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/index.html#top_partners

  10. H.R. 3610Food & Drug Import Safety Act • Introduced by Rep. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee • Establishes fees on imports of food and drugs to support FDA inspection activities; • Limits food imports to only 13 U.S. ports of entry - only Detroit on U.S. - CA border, no ports on U.S-MX border. • BTA is working with other organizations and Congressional offices to advocate against this legislation and to promote more realistic alternatives - additional funds for FDA, mobile inspection labs, etc.

  11. Travel pre-WHTI • 4 million U.S. citizens traveled to Canada and Mexico by air or sea; • 2 million traveled to the Caribbean; • Small number of U.S. citizens are repeat, daily crossers; 18 percent of the crossings; • 2 percent of border travelers = 48 percent of the total annual crossings. • Source: Bearing Point Inc. survey for U.S. Dept. of State

  12. Travel pre-WHTI • 23 million U.S. citizens cross nearly 130 million times each year by land into Canada and Mexico • One-half are frequent crossers, making the trip at least once a year. • Source: Bearing Point Inc. survey for U.S. Dept. of State

  13. Impact • “Looking at these 23 million land border crossers from a document perspective, only 40 percent report that they possess a U.S. passport. Nearly 33 percent, or a little over 8 million of them, reported that they would seek a U.S. passport within a year to fulfill WHTI documentary requirements.” • Testimony of Mr. Frank Moss, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee • December 2, 2005

  14. Impact • Current backlog of two or more months for 500,000 passport applications • Implementation of WHTI at land crossing will add at least 8 million additional applications to the current backlog • DOS survey: 6 million U.S. citizens who currently travel to Canada or Mexico would not apply for passports within a year of implementing WHTI at land ports of entry.

  15. The role of Washington • Congress • Federal Agencies • Expectations • Program assessment • The role of border states

  16. Latest challenges • Manual entry of driver’s license by CBP officers • Increased wait times at the ports of entry • Starting January 30, 2008 US citizens have to show two forms of ID: driver’s license and birth certificate

  17. Advocacy in Action • BTA letter to Secretary Chertoff Driver’s licenses not secure, do not prove citizenship • Recommendations: • End practice and focus on communicating document requirements; • Evaluate secure traveler programs, leverage best practices.

  18. What can be done? • Stay informed • Write to your representative

  19. WWW.THEBTA.ORG

More Related