Border inefficiencies and duplicative regulations are placing American as well as Canadian companies at a major competitive disadvantage, according to Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME).
In a meeting with President Barack Obama's Export Council and representatives from the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, CME President & CEO Jayson Myers emphasized the importance of making real and rapid progress in implementing a new action plan to improve perimeter security and enhance border efficiency.
CME has highlighted six priorities the association believes should be addressed as part of the new border vision outlined by the President Obama and Prime Minister Harper last February.
CME's recommendations include strengthening trusted trader programs, harmonizing information requirements and reporting processes across government departments, and expediting entry procedures for business travelers.
"The U.S. is not just Canada's largest trading partner; it is the nucleus of a highly integrated supply chain," Myers explains. "Goods travel across the border several times before a finished product can be sold, which adds compliance costs for job creators in both Canada and the United States, increases costs for governments, and ultimately raises prices for consumers."
CME, in conjunction with the Businesses for Better Borders (B3) coalition, is coordinating industrial support in both Canada and the United States for action on a new border plan. A formal announcement introducing a joint strategy is expected later this summer.
"These are very timely discussions for American and Canadian manufacturers alike, and will shape the economic cooperation agenda between our two countries," says Myers. "We must work closely with government and do everything we can to remove barriers to export growth and ensure the continued stability of the economic recovery."
More information on the six recommendations set out by CME members and the B3 coalition is available here.
The plan is also backed by more than 40 industry associations comprising the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition.
