Truckers say Chretien-Bush Announcement Contains Nothing New But is Still Significant

September 9, 2002

Responding to today’s announcement the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) says there is still a lot that needs to be done to alleviate long delays for trucks trying to cross the border into the United States.

US President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Chretien did not announce anything really new during their meeting today in Windsor-Detroit, but Alliance CEO, David Bradley, says “it would be wrong for us to minimize the progress to date on developing a bilateral, automated customs pre-clearance system.

In their announcement today, Bush and Chretien signed a formal agreement, committing the world’s two largest trading partners, to introduction of the Free and Secured Trade Program (FAST). This is a truck processing system which officials from both countries have been developing in consultation with trucking and other business associations on both sides of the border for the past several months. About 70% by value of Canada-US trade moves by truck and the busiest border crossings in Southwestern Ontario, south of Montreal and south of Vancouver handle the lion’s share of that traffic. Congestion at those border areas existed prior to last September 11^th, but has been worse since then.

“For us, FAST is the key part of the 30 Point Smart Border Accord signed (by deputy prime minister, John Manley and US Homeland Security chief, Tom Ridge), late last yea,” says Bradley. “Up until then, the Canadian and US services had operated more or less in isolation of each other, with different processes and different emphases. The US was always more focused on national security and enforcement. Since September 11^th, if anyone didn’t know why the Americans were so focused on security, they surely do now. Canada, on the other hand, where 50% of its gross domestic product is dependent upon trade with the United States, had always been more focused on trade facilitation and electronic pre-clearance of low risk people and goods.”

“That the two countries are at the same table -- actually trying to work out compatible customs systems and procedures with a view to improving both security and trade flows -- is very significant.”

Among the issues CTA insists still need to be addressed are the mechanics and associated costs of a truck driver registration/security check system; the differences associated with less-than-truckload versus full load shipments; and, infrastructure so that pre-cleared trucks can move quickly through dedicated lanes. Bradley also said that the lack of a freeway on the Canadian approach to the Windsor-Detroit crossing, has got be addressed. “You can take a truck from Toronto to Miami and you’ll go through 15 stop lights. But 14 of them are in Windsor. It’s an untenable situation for truckers and for local residents.”

Source: Canadian Trucking Alliance, www.cantruck.com