Canadians reveal their “Wish List” for negotiation of NAFTA 2.0

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA)has officially submitted comments on cross-border trade to Global Affairs Canada, as governments of the United States, Canada and yes, Mexico, prepare to renegotiate aspects of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The association’s submission covers 11 related areas of interest including in-transit truck moves, cargo pre-clearance, government investment at ports of entry, harmonization of security programs, the trend in rising cross-border fees, the movement of food products and related inspections, and e-commerce, among other topics.

“Many of the comments by the carrier community contained in our submission are longstanding issues that have been impeding cross-border trade,” said CTA President Stephen Laskowski. “CTA is eager to work with Ottawa, Washington, and the business communities on both sides of the border to try and resolve these issues for the betterment of the economies in the U.S. and Canada.”

For its part, the U.S. has already indicated an interest in automating and streamlining customs and border procedures. Those were among negotiation objectives released on July 17 by the Office of the United States Trade Representative. That 18-page document asks for “automation of import, export, and transit processes” as well as “reduced import, export, and transit forms, documents, and formalities [and] enhanced harmonization of customs data requirements” for goods crossing the border.

If you want to see Canadas “wish list” as it applies specifically to trucking, visit our friends at Truckinginfo.com

This post is part of the thread: NAFTA 2.0 - an ongoing story on this site. View the thread timeline for more context on this post.