Government of Canada
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Institutional Links
Border Cooperation
Canadians and Americans have a long tradition of working together to promote security and facilitate travel across our borders; to ensure that they remain open to legitimate trade and people and closed to terrorists, criminals and dangerous goods.
For 5,525miles or 8,891 kilometres, our shared border binds together companies, employees, tourists, sports fans, first responders and border community residents who depend on goods and services from just across the way.
The interconnectedness of our countries speaks to the depth of our relationship. Canada is the single largest export market for 35States. In addition, the two countries combine for over $576 billion in cross border trade, which ultimately supports 7.1 million jobs in the United States. This means that our safe and secure Canada-U.S. border facilitates over $1million in trade each and every minute.
Protecting our Borders
Since the September 11 attacks, both Canada and the United States have invested heavily in border security. We are also investing in a border that is our common gateway to prosperity working together to manage a 24/7 border, built around 21st-century infrastructure and border policies.
The Government of Canada is always looking at ways to increase security at the Canada-U.S. border. Canada has been and will continue to work in close cooperation with the United States to ensure that our shared border is closed to terrorists but open for legitimate trade and travel.
Canada and the United States have strengthened their joint management of the border on the basis of the 32-point Smart Border Declaration and Action Plan, signed in 2001.This landmark agreement enhanced cooperation in the following areas: the secure flow of people; the secure flow of goods; secure infrastructure; and coordination and information sharing. It has been a model for other countries on how to work together on border issues.
Through ongoing policy development and border investments, Canada and the United States continue to strengthen their border cooperation. At the North American Leaders' Summit in August 2009 in Guadalajara, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Mexican President Felipe Calderón affirmed that "our integrated economies are an engine of growth. We are investing in border infrastructure, including advance technology, to create truly modern borders to facilitate trade and the smooth operation of supply chains, while protecting our security."
Canada’s Budget 2008 commits $174 million over the next two years to ensure Canada has the best equipment, infrastructure, regulations, and cooperative frameworks in place to maximize the security and efficiency of the Canada-U.S. border.
- $75 million to ensure that the Canada Border Services Agency has sufficient resources to deliver innovative border services reflective of current economic realities and an evolving security environment.
- $14 million to expand the joint Canada-U.S. NEXUS program.
- $7 million over the next two years towards federal activities supporting provinces and territories planning to introduce Enhanced Driver's Licences (EDLs).
- $29 million towards a stronger North American partnership through the advancement of priorities under the Security and Prosperity Partnership identified by Leaders in Montebello, Québec in August 2007.
- $26 million to introduce the use of biometric data in Canada's visa-issuing process to accurately verify the identity of foreign nationals entering Canada.
- $15 million over the next two years to maintain and expand the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Marine Security Operations Centre, an important contribution to the security of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway region.
- Introducing a higher-security electronic passport by 2011.
This investment builds on the almost $10 billion that Canada has spent on border security and law enforcement since 2000.
Key Organizations and Initiatives
Cross-Border Crime Forum
Cross-Border Crime Forum: 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the Cross Border Crime Forum (CBCF). The Forum is a joint effort of Public Safety, the Department of Justice Canada and the U.S. Department of Justice. It brings together senior law enforcement and justice officials from participating organizations in Canada and the U.S.
The CBCF addresses transnational crime problems such as smuggling, organized crime, mass marketing fraud, counter-terrorism and other emerging cross-border issues. It also focuses on resolving obstacles and impediments – primarily with regard to policy, regulations and legislation – faced by law enforcement and justice officials who work on cross-border crime issues
Integrated Border Enforcement Teams
Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETS) consist of Canadian and American law enforcement teams that share information and resources to maximize border security. The five core IBET agencies are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Border Patrol (CBP/BP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They work closely with local, state and provincial enforcement agencies in the fight against cross-border criminal activity.
Project North Star
Project North Star is a bi-national forum that provides Canadian and U.S. law enforcement managers a mechanism to enhance existing communications, cooperation, and partnership between agencies and personnel that operate within the U.S.-Canada border area.
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) ensures the security and prosperity of Canada by managing the access of people and goods to and from Canada.
CBSA programs include:
NEXUS: NEXUS is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the United States.
Free and Secure Trade Program (FAST): FAST facilitates moving pre-approved eligible goods across the border and verifying trade compliance away from the border.
Partners in Protection (PIP): This program enlists industry partners to share the responsibility of securing the supply chain.
Advance Commercial Information (ACI): The program introduces more effective risk management processes and tools to help identify threats to the health, safety, and security of Canadians in the supply chain before they reach Canadian air and marine ports
e-Manifest: The project will expand ACI requirements to all highway and rail commercial carriers, and will also require importers and freight forwarders to report electronically for all modes.
Source CBSA 2008
The International Boundary Commission
The International Boundary Commission (IBC) is the bi-national agency responsible for marking, maintaining and mapping the Canada–U.S. boundary. Through the IBC, Canada and the United States have collaborated since 1908 to peacefully manage the longest shared boundary in the world — 8,893 kilometres long — from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.
