A border agreement to expedite the movement of people and goods across the Canada-U.S. border has stalled and will likely depend on a lame-duck session of the U.S. Congress to get the boost it needs to become law.

U.S. President Barack Obama and now-former Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed the Canada-U.S. preclearance agreement in March 2015. But it has yet to be implemented, because it is awaiting enabling legislation in both countries.

The Canadian government, businesses and lobby groups are all pushing to move the necessary legislation through the U.S. Congress before the end of the year. They hope that a bill will pass between the election and inauguration, the lame duck session. In Canada, Bill C-23 passed first reading in the House in June.

This has been excerpted from the 24 October 2016 edition of the Financial Post and is available in its entirety at:
http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/canada-u-s-border-deal-stuck-in-legislative-limbo-and-will-depend-on-lame-duck-congress-to-free-it