20 March 2003

Security tightened at U.S.-Canada border

The following article is excerpted from “The Journal of Commerce” edition of 20 March 2003.

Canada on Wednesday [19 March] tightened security at its airports, seaports and border crossings and reported scattered delays for commercial traffic entering the United States.

At mid-afternoon, there was a three-hour wait for trucks entering the U.S. at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, the world's busiest border crossing, and two hours at the Peace Bridge between Buffalo, N.Y. and Fort Erie, Ontario. There were minimal delays at the half-dozen other land border crossings, except for a one-hour wait for commercial traffic between Blaine, Wash. and Surrey, British Columbia on the West Coast.

Commercial traffic entering Canada from the United States encountered no delays save for a 30-minute wait at Blaine-Surrey. …

Canada Customs officers at all border crossings are in "a heightened state of alert," said Elinor Caplan, federal minister responsible for the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. Goods and people crossing to the U.S by road, rail, air or water will be subject to "more intensive referral and searches," she said.

"Enhanced protection measures to strengthen our (Canada-U.S.) mutual security may include increased inspections, more detailed questioning, and more intensive document review," she said. "In addition, export checks to protect border infrastructure will be done in southern Ontario (at New York and Michigan crossings)." …

Canada had initiated random spot checks of vehicles leaving for the U.S., Deputy Prime Minister John Manley said. The U.S. requested the checks after raising its domestic terror alert level to orange on Feb. 7, he said, and now "we are doing so again. We will be responding over the next few days as the situation develops."

Officials at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency told JoC Online that the agency was tightening surveillance of food and agri-product import and export shipments.

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20 March 2003

Customs will keep 24-rule at 24 hours

The following article is excerpted from “The Journal of Commerce” on-line edition on 20 March 2003.

The security requirements of the Trade Act of 2002 will enable the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection the opportunity to refine the way Customs collects data on ocean cargo, but carriers will still be required to file that data 24 hours before a container is loaded aboard a ship at a foreign port….

Bartoldus [Director of Targeting for US Customs] spoke at a session during which members of the Treasury Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the U.S. Customs Service (COAC) discussed a report to Customs on March 14 that recommended ways to implement the legislation. The law will require electronic reporting of cargo data for exports and imports in all modes of transportation. Customs must put the rule on the books by Oct. 1.

Among other things, the COAC ocean transportation subcommittee recommended that Customs collect cargo data from more than one source, including importers, agents, brokers or third-party logistics providers….

Bartoldus said that Customs is looking at multiple sources for cargo data.

Under the 24-hour rule, Customs collects cargo data filed by carriers and non-vessel-operating common carriers through the Automated Manifest System.