Border Issues
The Beyond the Border initiative outlines a vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness whereby the United States and Canada work in partnerships within, at, and away from our borders to achieve enhanced security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries. The United States has several successful joint law enforcement programs with Canada such as the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBET), Border Enforcement Security Taskforces (BEST), and the ShipRider Integrated Cross Border Maritime Law Enforcement program. Senior leadership engages in these efforts through fora such as the Cross Border Crime Forum (CBCF), which is chaired by the U.S. Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security with their Canadian counterparts. As part of the Beyond the Border Action Plan, U.S. and Canadian officials are enhancing cross-border law enforcement radio interoperability and building on the successes of programs such as IBET, BEST, and ShipRider to develop the next generation of integrated cross-border law enforcement.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducts preclearance operations at eight Canadian airports, allowing air travelers to arrive at domestic terminals in the United States by screening and making admissibility decisions about U.S.-bound travelers and their accompanying goods or baggage prior to departure. The United States and Canada intend to enhance preclearance operations and expand them to also cover land, rail, and ferry/cruise travel as part of the Beyond the Border Action Plan.
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1 February 2013: U.S. and Canada Sign Memorandum of Cooperation on Safe Transportation of Dangerous Goods
The U.S. Department of Transportation and Transport Canada have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on the safe transportation of dangerous goods. (3.8MB PDF)
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10 January 2013: New Port of Entry Opens at Boundary, Washington
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has opened a new land border port of entry at Boundary, Washington, that will enhance border security and better facilitate the flow of legal travel and international trade across the border.
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13 December 2012: United States and Canada Sign Information Sharing Agreement
The United States and Canada have signed an information sharing agreement that will facilitate joint efforts to enhance security and improve efficiency at our borders.
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6 December 2012: CBP Streamlines Importing and Exporting Process
Effective January 7th, importers and exporters will be able to ship more goods through an expedited customs clearance process.
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15 November 2012: Canadian NEXUS Members Now Eligible for TSA Pre✓™
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced that Canadian NEXUS members who are eligible for TSA Pre✓™ can begin participating in the program.