|
Released: 17 May, 1999
Canada And The United States Agree To Simplify Highway Cargo Movement
Washington, D.C., May 17,
1999. . . . . . . .The Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament
(Vancouver South-Burnaby), the Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, and the Commissioner of
U.S. Customs Service, Mr. Raymond W. Kelly, today announced that as a result of
the success of the In-Transit Highway Simplification Project, Canadians and
Americans moving highway cargo into Canada and the United States are benefiting
from a simplified customs process.
Minister Dhaliwal and
Commissioner Kelly met in Washington to sign an agreement of co-operation
between the United States Customs Service and Revenue Canada, regarding the
In-Transit Highway Simplification Project.
"This agreement will go
a long way in improving the flow of trade between Canada and the United
States," Minister Dhaliwal said. "Reducing the amount of time needed
to get goods in and out of both of our countries not only benefits our clients
and stakeholders, but also lets our respective customs officers focus their
efforts on higher-risk inspection areas."
The In-Transit Highway
Simplification Pilot Project - implemented across the entire Canada/U.S. border
between October 15, 1997, and April 15, 1998 - reduced in-transit border
crossing from a four-step to a two-step process, saving the trucking industry,
and ultimately consumers in both countries, millions of dollars.
"This is a win-win-win
agreement," Commissioner Kelly said. "The Canadian government wins,
the U.S. government wins, and the cross-border carrier industry wins."
Instead of presenting
documents every time they leave and enter Canada or the U.S., cargo carriers
only have to report to customs upon arrival in the transiting country and then
when re-entering the original country of export. Translated into real time, that
means a savings of at least 30 minutes per in-transit movement.
Besides saving time,
in-transit highway simplification will also reduce congestion in outbound lanes.
The In-Transit Highway
Simplification Pilot Project was developed as a part of the Canada - United
States of America Accord On Our Shared Border. The Accord is intended to promote
trade, tourism, and travel between the two countries.
"
29C/99
|
