Report

DELEGATION MEMBERS

From 3–5 May 2015, Mr. Gord Brown, M.P., Co-Chair and an additional three delegates – Senator Daniel Lang, Mr. Tarik Brahmi, M.P. and Ms. Yvonne Jones, M.P. – represented the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) at the spring meeting of the Canadian/American (Can/Am) Border Trade Alliance (BTA) in Ottawa, Ontario. Mr. Brown and Senator Lang provided remarks at the meeting.

THE EVENT

The Can/Am BTA holds two meetings each year: in the spring in Ottawa and in the fall in Washington, D.C. The BTA is a coalition of businesses, public-sector organizations and individuals with an interest in bilateral trade and tourism. Its mission is to maximize commercial activity and ensure continued growth in cross-border trade, as well as efficient and productive border-crossing capabilities.

Attendees at the event included private-sector representatives involved in a number of transportation and trade-related activities, as well as representatives of a variety of Canadian federal departments and the United States’ Embassy in Ottawa.

DELEGATION OBJECTIVES FOR THE EVENT

Members of the Canadian Section sometimes attend both the spring and fall meetings of the BTA. Given the BTA’s focus, attendance at the meetings provides members with an important opportunity to gain insights about the problems being experienced by businesses and individuals in respect of trade and tourism, as well as about efforts and actions by governments in both countries to address these problems.

Attendance at the BTA meetings also provides members of the Canadian Section with an opportunity to inform meeting attendees about the range of actions taken by them in respect of shared bilateral goals, especially through the invitation that is typically given to the Canadian Senate and House of Commons Co-Chairs or their designates to provide remarks about the Canadian Section’s past and future activities and priorities. As noted earlier, Mr. Brown and Senator Lang provided remarks at this meeting.

ACTIVITIES DURING THE EVENT

Members of the Canadian Section were able to speak with meeting attendees about the problems being encountered at Canada’s shared border with the United States, and to share information about the efforts being taken by the Canadian Section of the IPG to ensure the existence of an efficient, cost-effective and secure shared border. Senator Daniel Lang spoke about the Canadian Section’s activities since the BTA’s 2014 fall meeting, while the Canadian Section’s House of Commons Co-Chair, Mr. Gord Brown, M.P., discussed the Canadian Section’s upcoming activities.

Sessions with the following titles were held:

·Welcome and Introductory Remarks

·View from the Bridges

·A Border Crossing Environmental New Reality

·Strategic Direction of Canada/U.S. Cooperation for a Smart Border for the Beyond the Border Perimeter Action Plan

·Enabling Border Processes with Global Standards: RFID for Product Identification and Traceability

·Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group

·The American Perspective

·Federal Bridge Management Approach – Amalgamation with Blue Water Bridge

·Trusted Known Employer Initiative

·Beyond the Border Perimeter Plan Implementation Status

·Canada–U.S. Insight

·Transportation – Strategic Direction of Transport Policy – National Highway, Rail, Air, Maritime, Infrastructure: Specifics on Gateways, Trade Corridors and Border Crossings

·Interoperable Voice and Data Technology for Commerce and Security – Overview, Update and Issues Effect at Border

·Canada Border Services Agency – Beyond The Border

·eMANIFEST ACI – View from Trade

·Summary Remarks

·Keynote: Alberta Update – Including Oil Sands, Energy Market Access and Insight

This report summarizes the presentations made at the meeting, including the remarks by Senator Lang and Mr. Brown.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Solomon Wong, Can/Am BTA Executive Board and InterVistas Consulting

·The Canada–U.S. relationship is evolving, and it is important to think about this relationship in terms of broad, future changes, rather than focusing on small disputes.

·Stakeholders should think about how the Canada–U.S. relationship has changed over the last 20 to 60 years, and where it is going over the next 60 years.

·More than 60 years ago, lobbying efforts focused on locating U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Toronto, an idea that – at the time – was considered crazy.

·The Shared Border Accord in 1995 ushered in key principles of Canada–U.S. cooperation.

·The Canadian and U.S. governments recently signed an agreement for the next version of pre-clearance.

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGES

Lee Holloway, Niagara Falls Bridge Commission

·Canada is New York’s number one foreign export market, and has an important impact on jobs, trade and tourism in the state.

·The Lewiston Plaza is 53 years old and needs upgrading.

·Section 6 of the Canada Customs Act requires bridge operations to pay for repairs and maintenance, though Canada occasionally contributes to help defray these costs; the United States has typically contributed too, but that situation has been changing and no funds have been allocated for capital improvements on that country’s northern border.

·Bridge operators will have to pay for capital costs on the U.S. side of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge to ensure that needed improvements occur.

Natalie Kinloch, Federal Bridge Corporation Limited

·The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) is in the midst of a major transformation because of a recent reorganization/amalgamation.

·There is a need to ensure that bridges are safe and secure, use proactive traffic management, and offer more payment and trip planning options.

·Ongoing communications, and collaboration between Canada and U.S. authorities, are important parts of risk management at the FBCL.

·Proactive traffic management segregates commercial and non-commercial traffic, though geography does not always allow for this option; the need for proactive traffic management is increasing, because slower borders mean reduced travel and trade.

·Investments in technology give clients payment choices; for example, a smart phone app is available for the Sault Sainte Marie Bridge.

·Renewal and modernization of facilities is occurring, including at the Sault Sainte Marie Bridge (planned completion in 2017–2018), the Blue Water Bridge (planned completion in June 2015) and the Thousand Islands Bridge (planned completion in 2017–2018).

Stan Korosec, Canadian Transit Company

·The movement of manufacturing operations from Canada to Mexico is not necessarily because of Canada–U.S. border delays, because delays also exist at the Mexico–U.S. border.

·U.S. imports from Canada are decreasing, while imports from China are increasing.

·Truck traffic volumes at the Canada–U.S. border have declined since the late 1990s.

·Because of lower volumes, plaza improvements, radio frequency identification technology (RFID), and FAST and NEXUS, there are now fewer delays at the Canada–U.S. border than in the late 1990s.

·Delays at borders can be caused by such factors as technology issues, security alerts, weather and inadequate staffing.

·Opening up a single extra lane at a border crossing point can have a significant impact on traffic flows.

Ron Rienas, Peace Bridge Authority

·A $167 million capital plan for improvements to the bridge was approved last year, based on the assumption of little to no government funding.

·Traffic volumes have declined on the Peace Bridge, so volume is not the motivation for the current projects; rather, the goal is to improve operations.

·A bridge re-decking project, which is expected to start in October 2016, should extend the life of the bridge by 100 years; construction will occur in the off-season only.

·Existing operational practices can be improved to mitigate the need for new infrastructure.

·There is a need to move towards 100% electronic manifests, which is not currently the case on the U.S. side of the border that is shared with Canada; that said, there is movement toward that goal.

A BORDER CROSSING ENVIRONMENTAL NEW REALITY

Ron Rienas, Peace Bridge Authority

·Significant technological changes have reduced the environmental effects of idling trucks.

·In addition to technological changes to vehicles, declines in traffic volume have reduced the environmental impact of idling vehicles.

·As a result of improvements to diesel technology, diesel-fueled vehicles built since 2010 have limited or no emissions, with nitrogen oxides having been eliminated; the emissions from a truck built in 1988 would be equal to those of 60 trucks built in 2014.

·Clean diesel cars have not penetrated the North American market, but represent more than one half of cars in Europe.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF CANADA/U.S. COOPERATION FOR A SMART BORDER FOR THE BEYOND THE BORDER PERIMETER ACTION PLAN

Honourable Steven Blaney, P.C., M.P., Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

·The challenge is to ensure greater safety and security for citizens without creating barriers for legitimate travel and trade.

·Threats to safety and security are real; Canadian citizens have become radicalized and have gone to fight abroad, and they can be a threat if they return to Canada.

·It is not just a question of who leaves and enters Canada, but also the reasons for the movement.

·The federal government is seeking to ensure that Canada’s intelligence and enforcement agencies have the tools that are needed to identify and respond to threats effectively; in particular, Bill C-51 would contribute to attaining this goal.

·Bill C-51 would give specified entities the authority to share information for security reasons with a view to reducing the threat before it happens; it would also criminalize the promotion of terrorism and terrorist websites.

·The 2015 federal budget announced a doubling of the budget of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, an independent review body that reports to Parliament on the operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

·Canada and the United States have the largest and most comprehensive trade relationship in the world.

·Since its creation, 1.2 million people have become NEXUS members.

·Canada signed an historic land, rail and marine pre-clearance agreement with the United States in March 2015; although actions are still needed to implement the agreement, some of the legislation has already been introduced in the House of Commons. The goal is to have the agreement implemented by mid-2016.

ENABLING BORDER PROCESSES WITH GLOBAL STANDARDS: RFID FOR PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION AND TRACEABILITY

Ryan Eickmeier, GS 1 Canada

·GS 1 standards help to enable border processes; 5 billion transactions with GS 1 standards occur every day, mostly through GS 1 barcodes.

·GS 1 acts as a national registry owner, with a global product registry containing millions of data points that are updated by brand owners.  

·Electronic trade has transformed geographic borders into virtual borders, and consumers can make purchases online across geographic borders.

·Global trade item numbers can reduce the volume of inspections of goods at the border, with product classification codes reducing that volume even further, resulting in savings for importers.  

·In the future, there could be a move towards barcodes having information for government and consumers; currently, the focus is business to business.

CANADA–U.S. INTER-PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

Senator Daniel Lang, Senate of Canada

·Shortly after the Can/Am BTA meeting in Washington, D.C. in fall 2014, the Executive Committee of the IPG’s Canadian Section had the opportunity to meet with the United States’ Ambassador to Canada, Ambassador Bruce Heyman; discussions focused on areas where Canada and the United States have common cause and are working well together as partners, such as in the sphere of international peace and security, as well as on the manner in which the two countries should be working together going forward, especially in the context of continental competitiveness.

·On 31 October 2014, Mr. Patrick Brown, M.P., Vice-chair of the IPG’s Canadian Section, represented the Section at the North American Conference on Competitiveness and Innovation in Toronto, where he spoke alongside legislators from Canada’s two North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners: the United States and Mexico.

·In November 2014, the Canadian Section’s Executive Committee, along with a number of other Canadian Parliamentarians, met with General David Petraeus and former U.S. Trade Representative and Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick to discuss the recommendations from North America: Time for a New Focus, the report by the Independent Task Force on North America that they chaired.

·A couple of weeks following the meeting with General Petraeus and Mr. Zoellick, a number of members of the Canadian Section travelled to Washington, D.C. for the inaugural meeting that brought together members of the Canada–U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group and the U.S.–Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Group; topics discussed included shared borders, competitiveness, security and energy.

·Shortly after the meeting among federal legislators from Canada, the United States and Mexico, the Canadian Section’s House Co-Chair – Mr. Gord Brown – spoke to governors from the U.S. West at the Western Governors’ Association’s winter meeting.

·In February 2015, members of the Canadian Section spoke with some of those western governors, as well as with governors from other parts of the United States, at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.

·In March 2015, members of the Canadian Section held one-on-one meetings in Washington, D.C. with about 50 U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives; they discussed such issues as North American cooperation and competitiveness, joint efforts in the area of security, and the need to resolve small irritants in the bilateral relationship as they arise.

Gord Brown, M.P., Canadian House of Commons

·During the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region’s (PNWER’s) annual visit to Ottawa, the IPG’s Canadian Section will continue its tradition of hosting a reception for PNWER members.

·Details for the IPG’s annual meeting are still being finalized, but the focus will likely be on topics of importance to both residents and businesses in Canada and the United States.

·Canadian Section delegates will likely participate in the Southeastern United States–Canadian Provinces Alliance (SEUS–CP) meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

·The Canadian Section plans on attending the National Governors Association’s summer meeting, as well as the annual meetings of the Western Governors Association, the Southern Governors Association and the New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers.

·This year, the Council of State Governments’ regional meetings will be held throughout the United States, and the Canadian Section expects to send delegates to the meetings of the Southern Legislative Conference, the Midwestern Legislative Conference, the Eastern Regional Conference and CSG-WEST.

·The largest conference of state legislators attended by the Canadian Section is the National Conference of State Legislatures, which typically attracts at least 6,000 people. In most years, the Canadian Section is able to make a presentation to the international delegates.

THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

Ambassador Bruce Heyman, United States Embassy

·The shared border is critical to the Canada–U.S. relationship, and there is currently momentum on the issue of border relations.

·Canada and the United States share a comprehensive commitment to shared prosperity, and already have a coordinated approach on a range of issues.

·The United States likes being Canada’s number one trading partner, but supports Canadian efforts to diversify its trade.

·Canada is the top foreign energy supplier to the United States.

·Climate change is real, and clean energy is the solution; as such, clean energy is an emerging market opportunity.

·There is a need to make the shared border more efficient while maintaining security commitments; technology can help to manage the balance between these two goals.

·Frequent travellers should be targeted for enrolment in the NEXUS program.

·The efforts of the Regulatory Cooperation Council are designed to increase regulatory alignment between Canada and the United States, and to help avoid duplication and delays.

·The Canada–U.S. relationship has tangible, positive impacts on the lives of citizens in both countries.

·The Keystone XL issue does not define the nature of the Canada–U.S. relationship.

FEDERAL BRIDGE MANAGEMENT APPROACH - AMALGAMATION WITH BLUE WATER BRIDGE

Micheline Dubé, Federal Bridge Corporation Limited

·Major changes have occurred at the FBCL, which has become an amalgamation of a number of federal Crown corporations: the previous FBCL: the Saint Mary’s River Bridge Company: the Point Edward River Bridge Authority: and the Blue Water Bridge Authority.

·With the amalgamation of a number of federal Crown corporations to form the FBCL, the intention was to: simplify the number of Crown corporations operating bridges; build on modernization initiatives; further develop partnerships to ensure cross-border fluidity; and enhance operating efficiencies.

·The FBCL’s new governance board has a balance between people with previous experience and people from communities where the bridges are located.

·Aligning the corporate culture of a number of organizations involves moving towards operating as a sum of four parts, rather than as four individual parts.

·With the FBCL, organizational optimization involves structural and functional integration of four Crown corporations.

·Common technology platforms can improve efficiency and client service.

TRUSTED KNOWN EMPLOYER INITIATIVE

Daniel Ujczo, Dickinson Wright

·In the United States, labour mobility is a very political issue, with undocumented workers and highly skilled workers typically being the focus of debate.

·A movement towards a service economy means that more people are moving across borders; as companies begin to operate internationally, they also need to move more people across international borders.

·The creation of NAFTA increased the movement of people across borders because of its mechanisms for certain specialized professions; that said, the situation has changed, and many jobs of today did not exist 20 years ago.

·The Known Employer Program can help to address the issue of professions that are not included in NAFTA; there is no need to re-negotiate NAFTA, as an alternative is to “tweak” the existing system.

Eric Miller, Canadian Council of Chief Executives

·There is a need to make our borders work better for trade and commerce.

·Information is key, and the Known Employer Program allows more information to be shared with customs officials in advance.

·It is not just an issue of providing more information, but also of building the technology platform for sharing information.

·Technology may raise questions, such as: How is identity verified in an online world? What is the standard for submitting information? Within a company, who is authorized to provide information?

BEYOND THE BORDER PERIMETER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION STATUS

David McGovern, Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council

·Canada and the United States have maintained a high level of commitment to the Beyond the Border (BTB) and Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) initiatives and action plans; both initiatives were mentioned as a priority in the 2015 federal budget.

·Three BTB successes include the pre-clearance agreement, increased NEXUS use, and investments in border infrastructure.

·Canada and the United States have significantly improved cooperation on national security matters under the BTB Action Plan, including through a $300 million investment in intelligence and law enforcement agencies to protect against terrorism.

·Efforts are under way to streamline the land border for legitimate trade and travel, such as the new Windsor, Ontario–Detroit, Michigan crossing and investments for border infrastructure announced in the 2015 federal budget.

·About 1.2 million travelers use NEXUS, which helps low-risk, pre-approved passengers.

·The recently concluded pre-clearance agreement has been tabled in Parliament, which is the first step for ratifying the agreement in Canada.

·Trusted trader programs are important initiatives, as is the single window functionality introduced for seven of nine Canadian regulatory agencies.

CANADA-U.S. INSIGHT

Bill Owens, Esq., Stafford, Owens, Piller, Murnane, Kelleher & Trombley and Can/Am BTA Senior Advisory Board

·In spite of recent changes to the relative value of the Canadian dollar, trade between Canada and the United States continues to be strong.

·Some irritants in the Canada–U.S. relationship exist, such as the Keystone XL pipeline, the United States’ country-of-origin labelling (COOL) requirements, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations and the dairy sector, softwood lumber, and Buy American provisions in U.S. legislation.

·Despite irritants in the bilateral relationship, the successes of increased trade, the signing of a pre-clearance agreement and the positive outcomes of the RCC’s should be recognized.

·In Washington, D.C., more attention is paid to the United States’ southern border with Mexico than to its northern border with Canada; the pre-clearance agreement received little media attention.

·There is a need to push the American government to pay attention to the Canada–-U.S. relationship.

·Regarding trade promotion authority for the U.S. president, opponents have speculated about job losses in the United States, but little counter-information is being provided to elected U.S. officials.

·Members of Congress need to be provided with information about the manner in which trade agreements will create jobs in their districts.

TRANSPORTATION – STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF TRANSPORT POLICY – NATIONAL HIGHWAY, RAIL, AIR, MARITIME, INFRASTRUCTURE:   SPECIFICS ON GATEWAYS, TRADE CORRIDORS AND BORDER CROSSINGS

Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P., Minister of Transport

·Canada and the United States have announced new safety measures designed to improve the safe transportation of crude and ethanol by rail.

·New rail safety rules will ensure that manufacturers will build to a tank car standard, create performance-based standards for tank cars, and establish when Canadian and U.S. operators will have to phase-out older train cars.

·The Government of Canada has agreed to fund most of the new crossing at Detroit, Michigan–Windsor, Ontario.

·A public-private partnership will construct, maintain and operate the new Detroit, Michigan–Windsor, Ontario crossing, with costs to be recouped from future toll revenues.

·Trusted traveller programs have been expanded; for example, the programs apply to uniformed crew and members of the Canadian armed forces, which have their own lines with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

·Portable electronic devices can now be used on airplanes, and no longer have to be stowed.

·Jobs depend on trade between Canada and the United States, and NAFTA has done in that regard.

·The three NAFTA countries do not just sell to each other; products are also produced jointly in the NAFTA countries and sold to the world.

·Through the RCC, Canada and the United States are working together to harmonize regulations and streamline processes.

·The Honourable David L. Emerson, P.C. is currently leading a review of the Canadian Transportation Act; the review will provide recommendations about the next 30 years.

INTEROPERABLE VOICE AND DATA TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMERCE AND SECURITY - OVERVIEW, UPDATE AND ISSUES EFFECT AT BORDER

Matthew Swarney, Motorola Solutions Canada

·Today, first responders’ communications devices rely mostly on voice communications, which requires a narrow band allowing for robust voice communication but limited data communication; this standard was developed across North America by the users, not by the telecommunications industry.

·In the future, broadband data – which is already used widely in the consumer market but is just starting to be used in the area of public safety, will be increasingly important.

·A broadband telecommunications system will allow for more information to be shared in a faster manner; the greater is the information that can be shared in a timely manner, the more timely is an emergency response.

·The key concept in first responder communications is interoperability; technology is a catalyst, but humans are still required to act in certain ways to maximize the potential of the technology.

·First responders do not use smart phones on commercial networks for reasons that include coverage, availability, features and functionality of devices.

·Standards-based interoperable communication helps to encourage multi-agency collaboration for first responders, acts as a catalyst to collaboration through scalability in mutual aid scenarios during wide-scale emergencies, and helps authorities to keep up with those they are pursuing; those who are being pursued may have the ability to roam and to listen to those who are pursuing them.

·In the future, data technologies can improve efficiency in the delivery of services, with greater situational awareness allowing for better decision making; better information gives knowledge to first responders, who are then transformed into networked problem-solving knowledge workers.

·Cooperation among all three levels of government on both sides of the border is a challenge.

·Funding is another challenge when it comes to improving first responders’ communication; all jurisdictions are facing budget crunches.

·Identifying spectrum for increased emergency telecommunications capabilities is a challenge.

·Privacy regarding the collection, transmission, storage and sharing of data is a challenge that must be addressed.

CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY BEYOND THE BORDER – CBSA OVERVIEW – STRATEGY, PRIORITIES, KEY INITIATIVES, ETC

Luc Portelance and Richard Wex, Canada Border Services Agency

·Every 60 seconds, $1.4 million in goods and services move across the Canada–U.S. border, and 300,000 people cross the border daily.

·The CBSA has moved beyond coordinated border management; it has an integrated border management organization with the United States, and this integration is seen as a model of collaboration by other border services agencies in the world.

·Canada is not immune to terrorism, and the public perceives the threat of terrorism as imminent.

·The challenge of managing the border involves facilitating lawful trade and travel while ensuring security.

·BTB is the most ambitious border initiative in the CBSA’s history, and is reshaping how Canada and the United States manage the shared border; solid progress has been made on certain priorities, such as the pre-clearance agreement, the single-window initiative and harmonization of trusted trader programs.

·Quarterly, the CBSA’s senior executive committee reviews performance measures across the Agency’s business lines; increasingly, this information is used to inform border management approaches.

·In the last fiscal year, CBSA service standards were achieved in 96% of trade transactions; CBSA is now looking at improving the service standard.

·The CBSA is leading one of the largest transformation agendas in the federal government, and is focused on four things: people; processes; partnerships; and technology.

·Technology will continue to be a driving force for the CBSA in the future, and a number of projects are guiding this trend, such as eMANIFEST.

eMANIFEST ACI – VIEW FROM TRADE

Candice Sider, Livingston International

·eMANIFEST is the advance electronic conveyance of freight information to customs officials prior to the physical shipment arriving at the border.

·The trade community has worked with the CBSA on eMANIFEST through the Border Commercial Consultative Committee (BCCC).

·Once implemented, eMANIFEST will be the first step towards a totally integrated electronic platform for collecting and assessing pre-arrival data.

·As of 2014–2015, 9,000 highway carriers use eMANIFEST, representing 96% of trade volumes.

·The benefits of eMANIFEST include reduced costs, improved transit times for just-in-time deliveries, and a harmonization of the data set with the World Customs Organization.

·Final deployment of eMANIFEST is scheduled for 2016.

·There is no link between eMANIFEST and single-window integrated import declaration, which is a missed opportunity.

Michelle Bunberry Stokes, UPS-SCS

·Highway carriers must report conveyance and cargo data to the CBSA at least one hour before reaching the first point of arrival; this initiative is currently in the voluntary compliance phase, and implementation legislation is expected in the future, along with a 45-day notice of coming into force.

·eMANIFEST has impacts on freight forwarders, highway and rail carriers, and importers/brokers.

·An estimated 96% of highway volume is covered by eMANIFEST, and the CBSA will continue outreach effort to increase its use.

·A number of challenges remain with eMANIFEST, such as the excessive penalty structure and information technology constraints.

Mark Ouellette, FEDEX Canada

·Timelines in relation to eMANIFEST are moving, as eMANIFEST was originally expected to come into force in 2014 but is currently scheduled for December 2016.

·Some timelines regarding eMANIFEST are missing, such as the dates for implementation, the dates for adding certain features, the dates for notification in the Canada Gazette, and the dates for administrative monetary penalties grace periods.

·The CBSA correctly delayed mandatory dates in relation to eMANIFEST.

·The BCCC has provided a formal venue for resolution of eMANIFEST and single-window initiative issues.

·The CBSA has also conducted extensive outreach regarding eMANIFEST, including conference calls and webinars.

SUMMARY REMARKS

Dr. Bob Perkins, Executive Board of the Can/Am Border Trade Alliance and Global Trade Association Inc.

·The objective of the Can/Am BTA is to serve as an institution where individuals with different areas of responsibility can come together with the purpose of addressing issues and looking at opportunities that can help to develop better border mangement systems and infrastructure.

·Canada and the United States have an outstanding relationship on border-related issues; the relationship evolves because the two countries are aligned in so many different areas.

KEYNOTE: ALBERTA UPDATE, INCLUDING OIL SANDS, ENERGY MARKET ACCESS AND INSIGHT

Rob Merrifield, Government of Alberta

·Alberta’s relationship with the United States is not limited to the Keystone XL pipeline; the forestry, chemical and agriculture sectors have significant trade with the United States

·Alberta’s energy sector is “first in class,” and companies in the energy business are also in the environmental business.

·Alberta is a model for its methane flaring reduction, $15 per tonne price on carbon, and carbon capture and storage projects.

·Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance improves environmental stewardship and industry cooperation; it aims to reduce fresh water use by the oil sands sector by 50% by 2022.

·The TPP negotiations are very important, and an agreement would give Canada a competitive edge; in the first 10 years, the TPP agreement is expected to increase international trade by 73%.

·The United States’ COOL requirements cost the livestock sector billions of dollars each year.

·The World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to rule on the COOL requirements for a fourth time by 18 May.

·Retaliatory measures in response to a WTO decision that is favourable to Canada on the COOL issue could significantly affect the movement of goods across the Canada–U.S. border

·Legislation is being developed in the U.S. Congress that would repeal the COOL requirement.

·The United States’ debt load is a concern; growth – not taxes – is required to reduce this debt.

·In the United States, trade is seen as jobs lost, whereas in Canada it is seen as jobs gained.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,