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Transportation Cooperation

• Smart Border Declaration and Action Plan
• Mechanisms for Cooperation
• Developments in Ground Transportation
• Developments in Air Transportation

Canada and the United States share the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world. The annual movement of more than 200 million people and approximately $475 billion in goods across the Canada-U.S. border could not happen without a well-developed transportation infrastructure, an efficient transportation industry and effective border inspection systems.

SMART BORDER DECLARATION AND ACTION PLAN

Canada and the United States are committed to maintaining secure infrastructure on both sides of the border. This commitment is outlined in the Smart Border Declaration, signed in Ottawa on December 12, 2001.

Addressing border delays that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the Smart Border Declaration commits both countries to relieving congestion at key crossing points by investing reciprocally in border infrastructure and identifying technological solutions to speed movement across the border. The Declaration states that both governments intent to identify and minimize threats to critical infrastructure such as airports, ports, bridges, and tunnels.

A 32-point Action Plan, announced in conjunction with the Smart Border Declaration, includes 4 action items specific to the maintenance of secure transportation infrastructure on both sides of the border:

• Infrastructure Improvements
  Work to secure resources for joint and coordinated physical and technological improvements to key border points and trade corridors aimed at overcoming traffic management and growth challenges, including dedicated lanes and border modeling exercises.

• Intelligent Transportation Systems
  Deploy interoperable technologies in support of other initiatives to facilitate the secure movement of goods and people, such as transponder applications and electronic container seals.

• Critical Infrastructure Protection
  Conduct binational threat assessments on trans-border infrastructure and identify necessary additional protection measures, and initiate assessments for transportation networks and other critical infrastructure.

• Aviation Security
  Finalize Federal Aviation Administration-Transport Canada agreement on comparability/equivalence of security and training standards.

MECHANISMS FOR COOPERATION

In January 2002, Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation hosted the inaugural meeting of the Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG). The TBWG has the support of all 19 border states and provinces and is mandated to meet semi-annually. The TBWG membership includes officials from DFAIT, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the U.S. Border Station Partnership Council, U.S. INS and U.S. Customs. The TBWG aims to enhance communication and coordination on border transportation issues and build on the work of bi-national transportation planning mechanisms. Most significantly, it provides a vehicle for advancing border transportation initiatives of common interest, consistent with the broader Canada-U.S. border management agenda.

The Interdepartmental Working Group on Trade Corridors, formed by the Canadian government in 1997, facilitates coordination of federal programs and initiatives which support corridor development. It serves as a focal point for the exchange of information among the provinces, territories and private sector and sets a consistent approach to national corridor research, analysis and planning.

DEVELOPMENTS IN GROUND TRANSPORTATION

In the February 2000 Budget Speech, the Government of Canada committed to invest up to $600 million over four years in highway infrastructure across Canada. In April 2001, Transport Canada announced the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP). The program consists of a $500 million highway construction component and a $100 million national system integration component. SHIP will provide $100 million nationally to fund initiatives which improve integration of the transportation system.

SHIP funds the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) across Canada, improvements to border crossings and better transportation planning. ITS includes applications such as advanced systems for traveller information, traffic management, public transport, commercial vehicle operations, emergency response management and vehicle safety. In March 2002, the Government of Canada committed approximately $3.7 million to 17 cost-shared projects under Transport Canada's ITS Deployment and Integration Plan.

In its Budget 2001, the Government of Canada provided $600 million over the next five years towards a new border infrastructure program. Projects supported by this program could include:

• new or improved highway access for border crossings;
• processing centres for commercial vehicles to speed up clearance times; and
• "soft infrastructure" such as intelligent transportation systems, which facilitate the electronic exchange of information between government agencies and trucks and trains crossing the border.

DEVELOPMENTS IN AIR TRANSPORTATION

U.S. preclearance at Canadian airports began under ad hoc arrangements in 1952 and has proven to be a great convenience to Canadian and U.S. travellers proceeding to the U.S. By allowing travellers to clear U.S. customs and immigration at Canadian airports rather than at U.S. destination airports, preclearance reduces delays at congested U.S. airports and allows shorter connection times in the U.S. to other U.S. cities. It also gives airlines departing Canada with access to smaller U.S. airports that do not have customs and immigration services.

The 1999 Preclearance Act and the 2001 Canada - U.S. Agreement on Air Transport Preclearance will, when the latter is brought into force, allow, on the basis of reciprocity, U.S. preclearance officers to administer, in Canada, U.S. laws relating to customs, immigration, public health, food inspection and plant and animal health with respect to the entry of travellers and their goods into the U.S.

The Agreement will also provide for intransit preclearance which facilitates travel from third countries to the U.S. via Canadian airports, in addition to Vancouver where there is a pilot project. U.S. preclearance activities remain subject to Canadian law, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Bill of Rights and the Canadian Human Rights Act.