Free and Secure Trade (FAST) for Canada - U.S. Border

Canadians entering the United States by land or water must present two pieces of identification. The first must be a government-issued photo ID such as a driver's licence. The second can be either a valid passport, a birth certificate, a citizenship card, or a NEXUS or Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card. These requirements come from the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Canadian citizens flying to or through the U.S. must present a valid Canadian passport.

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program expedites border clearance and reduces delays for pre-approved, low-risk truck drivers, carriers, and importers. The program promotes free and secure trade by using common risk-management principles, supply chain security, industry partnership and advanced technology. This approach improves the efficiency of screening and of clearing commercial traffic at the border.

The program is a joint Canada–United States initiative involving the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency.

Eligibility Criteria

There are three major participant groups who are eligible for FAST: importers, carriers, and drivers.

FAST will be available to those participants who have a demonstrated history of compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations, and have acceptable books, records and audit trails.

FAST participants must meet the requirements of Canada's Partners in Protection (PIP) program or the United States Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program. As part of these programs, companies must adopt and implement security procedures to be compatible with guidelines set by both the CBSA and CBP.

Summary

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program supports moving pre-approved eligible goods across the border quickly and verifying trade compliance away from the border.

FAST, based on sound risk management techniques, focuses on greater speed and certainty at the border and reduces the cost of compliance by:

• reducing the information requirements for customs/border clearance;
• eliminating the need for importers to transmit data for each transaction;
• dedicating lanes for FAST clearances;
• reducing the rate of border examinations;
• verifying trade compliance away from the border;
• streamlining accounting and payment processes for all goods imported by approved importers (Canada only).

In Canada, FAST builds on the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) program and its principles of pre-approval and self-assessment, as well as increased security measures under the Partners in Protection (PIP) program.

FAST Border Crossings

Currently, Canada and the United States jointly offer expedited Customs clearance processes to pre-authorized drivers, carriers and importers at the following major border crossings:

• St. Stephen, New Brunswick / Calais, Maine
• Woodstock, New Brunswick / Houlton, Maine
• Stanstead (55), Quebec / Derby Line, Vermont
• St-Armand/Phillipsburg, Quebec / Highgate Springs, Vermont
• St-Bernard-de-Lacolle - Highway 15, Quebec / Champlain, New York **
• Cornwall, Ontario / Massena, New York
• Prescott, Ontario / Ogdensburg, New York
• Lansdowne, Ontario / Alexandria Bay, New York
• Queenston, Ontario / Lewiston, New York
• Fort Erie, Ontario / Buffalo, New York
• Windsor, Ontario / Detroit, Michigan *
• Sarnia, Ontario / Port Huron, Michigan *
• Saut Ste. Marie, Ontario / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
• Fort Frances, Ontario / International Falls, Michigan
• Emerson Manitoba / Pembina, North Dakota
• North Portal, Saskatchewan / Portal, North Dakota
• Coutts, Alberta / Sweet Grass, Montana
• Osoyoos, British Columbia / Oroville, Washington
• Pacific Highway, British Columbia / Blaine, Washington **

* Dedicated FAST Lane
** Dedicated FAST Lane Southbound only

FAST Driver Enrollment Centers

Currently, there are ten FAST commercial driver enrolment centres located at the following locations:

• Windsor, Ontario
• Fort Erie, Ontario
• Port Huron, Michigan
• Champlain, New York
• Woodstock, New Brunswick
• Derby Line, Vermont
• Pembina, North Dakota
• Portal, North Dakota
• Sweetgrass, Montana
• Blaine, Washington

For more information, including how to register, please visit the FAST program Web site.

Quebec Contact(s):
See National Contact.

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National Contact(s):
Border Information Service - BIS
Canada Border Services Agency
Telephone: 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064
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