PR Newswire

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On Thursday, June 28, the Consulate General of Canada and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will host an afternoon conference focused on the recently-announced Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plans and the expected positive impacts on Minnesota businesses.

Nearly one million dollars in goods and services cross the Canada-U.S. border every minute. The Beyond the Border Action Plans announced by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama in December are designed to speed up legitimate trade and travel, improve North American security and align regulatory approaches to help build on the world’s largest trading relationship. Expected results of the Action Plans include: fewer duplicate inspections, reduced delays at the border for goods and travelers, more trusted traders, less paperwork, and other improvements that will save businesses on both sides of the border millions of dollars.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Canada’s Privy Council Office (PCO) will speak to how the agreements are currently being implemented and provide an overview of the pilot projects already in place. As part of the conference, Consul General Martin Loken, Canada’s top diplomat in the Upper Midwest, will moderate a panel discussion comprised of senior representatives from other event partners: the Minnesota Trade Office, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and Humphrey School of Public Affairs to talk about how the agreements will benefit Minnesota business.

WHO: Martin Loken, Consulate General of Canada; Andrew Brown, PCO, Ottawa; Deborah Meyers, DHS; Katie Clark, Minnesota Trade Office; Eric Schwartz, Humphrey School of Public Affairs; Bill Blazar, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce WHAT: Conference to discuss border agreements’ impact on Minnesota businesses WHEN: 2:00-4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 28, 2012 WHERE: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 90 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis
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