6 June 2003

U.S. rejects 'reverse inspections' for Canada border

The following article is excerpted from the 4 June on-line issue of “The Journal of Commerce”.

Canada is balking at demands by the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to screen travelers and goods before they enter the United States.

… A conference Tuesday [3 June] co-sponsored by the U.S.-based Border Trade Alliance and Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters rejected calls from executives at the meeting for so-called reverse inspections they said would help speed commercial traffic across the border.

Reverse inspections are conducted by U.S. and Canadian authorities at the other's major airports to screen passengers before they board planes. If, for example, American inspectors find that a U.S.-bound passenger is wanted on a felony charge in the U.S., that person is turned over to Canadian law enforcement.

"But we have to have the capability, in Canada, to enforce U.S. law," Weekes said. "It's a concept that we should have some dialogue on, and should strongly consider."

In fact, there has been U.S.-Canada dialogue on the issue for months under the Shared Border Accord, but little has come of it. (In the 1930s, Congress passed an act permitting Canadian inspections under Canadian law on U.S. soil if Canada would reciprocate. Canada never did.)

Canada cites a host of legal and sovereignty issues over the U.S. applying its laws in Canada.

… Robert Armstrong, president of the CAIE, said "I sincerely hope we can work out the legal issues."