On February 23, 2026, CSCB President Janine Harker spoke as part of a Future Borders Coalition (FBC) roundtable on cross border trade and supply chains. In her remarks, Ms. Harker noted that , while the pending review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) rightfully occupies a central place in Canada-US trade discussions, there are emerging trends that require attention in the near term, and that do not need to be bundled into the context of the CUSMA discussions. As an example, Ms. Harker spoke to the explosive growth in the use of AI-driven automated tools for goods classification, and the absence of up-to-date guidance from Canadian and US authorities about how use of these tools relates to questions of importer liability. She noted that there are existing bilateral mechanisms and processes to move forward on a range of matters, independently of the CUSMA review process, and that Canada and the US should avoid deferring operational trade discussions until the review is complete.
The FBC summary of the event is provided below.
Turning Ideas into Action: What FBC Is Driving Next
FBC’s Feb 23, 2026 Toronto roundtables brought together government, industry, and operational leaders to focus on one question: how do we make North American borders work better—now, not someday?
Across three sessions on supply chains, cargo innovation, and passenger facilitation, one message was clear: progress depends on collaboration and practical execution.
FBC’s role is to turn promising ideas into actionable initiatives—and that work relies on the engagement and support of our members. Special thanks to our keynote conversation leaders: Baxter Hunt, U.S. Consul General in Toronto, David Paterson, Ontario’s Representative in DC, and Daniel Tisch, President, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and Randall Zalazar, Manager, Public Policy, Amazon Canada
Strengthening Cross-Border Supply Chains
Discussions highlighted a growing gap between business resilience and policy uncertainty. While many companies remain confident in their own ability to grow, broader trade uncertainty and evolving tariff regimes are complicating planning and investment decisions.
Participants pointed to several operational pain points that affect competitiveness today:
- increasing complexity in tariffs, origin rules, and compliance
- reliability issues with border systems and processes
- uncertainty around how AI tools will affect customs compliance and enforcement
Accelerating Cargo Innovation at the Northern Border
Experts highlighted how cargo inspection and risk assessment are increasingly moving upstream in the supply chain, enabled by trusted trader programs, better data, and advanced scanning technologies. The goal is simple: move legitimate trade faster while strengthening enforcement.
Examples already in operation—particularly at the U.S.–Mexico border—demonstrate how integrating trusted programs with modern inspection technology can dramatically improve throughput while maintaining security.
Expanding Preclearance and Passenger Facilitation
Preclearance is evolving beyond airports into a multi-modal model spanning air, cruise, and rail, offering the potential for both improved security and better traveler experience.
Real-world examples are already showing dramatic improvements. At Vancouver’s cruise terminal, biometric processing has reduced some passenger processing times from hours to minutes—illustrating how technology and operational design can transform border experiences.
FBC Action Items
- Develop a Preclearance Playbook capturing lessons from successful projects across modes
- Advance work on baggage chain-of-custody standards and advanced passenger information modernization
- Identify the next high-impact biometrics pilot opportunities
- Establish a Canada–U.S. Border Tech Reliability & AI Compliance Taskforce bringing together CBSA, CBP, brokers, and major shippers to improve system reliability and clarify how AI-generated trade data should be treated in compliance and enforcement.
- Launch a Northern Border Innovation Benchmark comparing Canada–U.S. operations with proven U.S.–Mexico models.
- Convene a Canada-U.S. Border Master Plan conversation modeled on this Texas initiative, mapping regional trade infrastructure, driving towards regional coordination, investment and the reduction of bottlenecks.