U.S., Canada Set Cargo Pre-Inspection Program
The Canadian public safety department said Thursday it has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create a truck cargo pre-inspection pilot program.
The program will allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to inspect U.S.-bound truck cargo on the Canadian side of the border, Public Safety Canada said in a statement.
The program will “improve economic opportunities for Canadian manufacturers and their U.S.-based supply chain partners,” said Vic Toews, Canada’s minister of public safety.
The first step will test pre-inspections at the Pacific Highway crossing between Surrey, British Columbia, and Blaine, Wash, while the second step will take place at the Peace Bridge crossing between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, N.Y.
Canadian Trucking Alliance President David Bradley said the agreement was “very significant” to the trucking industry.
“Being able to have primary inspections conducted on one side of the border, or what we used to call reverse inspection, could be of benefit at some land border crossings where efficient border clearance is impaired by geographic constraints,” he said in a statement.
