Keith Edmund White

Canada Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center

The Buffalo News reports that the Peace Bridge pre-inspection pilot program has been threatened by a growing discord between certain New York state officials and bridge’s Canadian board members.

The Peace Bridge pre-inspection pilot, a key aspect of the Beyond the Border Action Plan, promises to promote commercial trade and reduce pollution at the second-busiest border crossing between Canada and the United States.

While the controversy may be receding, these recent events show the value of and persistence needed to build on the significant economic and border security gains made by Canada and the United States through BTB.

A fully implemented pre-inspection program at the Peace Bridge promises to ease congestion at a critical crossborder site, a crossing that generates $40 billion in trade each year.  Learn more about the pilot program here and by watching this July 2012 floor speech by Congressman Brian Higgins (D-NY).

From the National Post:

The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority — commonly known as the Peace Bridge Authority — and the key international link it has administered since 1923 have been hailed as symbols of the enduring friendship between the U.S. and Canada after the War of 1812, the key battles of which were fought near the present site of the Niagara River bridge that connects Fort Erie, Ont., and Buffalo, N.Y.

But that peaceful coexistence has been strained within the PBA boardroom in recent months, with Canada’s five, federally-appointed members and the five U.S. representatives locked in a deepening conflict over a planned, multimillion-dollar upgrade to roads and facilities on American side of the bridge.

And from The Buffalo News:

A group of state lawmakers Tuesday offered an olive branch to Canadian Peace Bridge officials, urging them to keep on track a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’’ to begin a historic pilot project that allows U.S. customs agents onto Canadian soil to inspect American-bound cargo trucks.

The letter, signed by five area Democratic members of the Assembly and one Republican state senator, was sent to Peace Bridge Authority Chairman Anthony Annunziata, who has been involved in a war of words with Cuomo administration officials in recent weeks over everything from personnel matters to construction plans on the Buffalo side.

The pre-inspection program was approved by Washington and Ottawa as a pilot initiative to more quickly move traffic and reduce pollution levels in just two spots in North America: the Peace Bridge and a span between the State of Washington and British Columbia.

…

[NY Assemblyman Michael Kearns (D-Buffalo)] said the pre-inspection program will reduce idling of trucks on the Buffalo side, helping to reduce health problems, such as asthma, in nearby neighborhoods.

Kearns’ comment comes a couple weeks after three area state legislators – Assembly Democrat Sean Ryan and Republican Sens. Mark Grisanti and George Maziarz – floated a plan to dissolve the Peace Bridge Authority [thereby shifting bridge management to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, a New York public transportation authority].

Public Safety Canada highlights Canada’s continuing commitment to the Beyond the Border Initiative:

The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport), spoke today at the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance Ottawa Conference on the benefits of and the progress made to date under the Beyond the Border Action Plan.

“Our government continues to make the implementation of the Beyond the Border Action Plan a key priority, and we have made significant progress to date,” said Minister Toews. “We are making the border more efficient by strengthening our security and facilitating trade. This will benefit both travellers and businesses.”

…

Minister Fletcher also addressed the progress made on the Detroit River International Crossing project, which will ensure that there is sufficient capacity to handle the projected increase in traffic at Canada’s busiest commercial border crossing.

Canada and the United States enjoy the largest trade relationship in the world. TheBeyond the Border Action Plan will further increase our security, economic competitiveness and prosperity through numerous measures, including reducing border wait times and improving infrastructure at key crossings to speed up legitimate trade and travel.

The Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance is a bi-national organization comprised of public and private organizations engaged in Canada–U.S. trade, transportation and tourism. Approximately 50 participants from various Canadian and American private- and public-sector organizations were in attendance.

Both officials made these remarks at The Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance’s 2013 annual conference.

President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Perrin Beatty highlighted the considerable trade barriers that remain between Canada and the United States.

Miami Today reports on Beatty’s speech to the Great Miami Chamber of Commerce:

According to Mr. Beatty, although bilateral trade has almost tripled since the Canada and US free trade agreement was enacted, “inefficient border policies” hurt trade industries, as these make it more costly to serve the North American market.

“It simply defies logic that we allow minor regulatory differences to hurt our industries,” Mr. Beatty said. “I can assure you our competitors aren’t making the same mistake.”

According to a Canada and Florida 2011 economic impact study by the Consulate General of Canada in Miami, country of origin reporting duties are “far more lax on products crossing state borders than they are crossing an international border.”

“When our country prescribes the size of soup cans, it makes it difficult for American products to get into Canada,” he said, “it adds no value and doesn’t provide consumer protection, but adds costs, limits choice, and makes our businesses weaker.”

While both countries’ leaders are choosing to tackle these issues, he said, trade business leaders also need to promote both countries’ mutual interests globally, citing the importance of the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations.