U.S and Canada ~ Obama, Harper announce new border deals

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December 07, 2011

Obama, Harper announce new border deals

The United States and Canada on Wednesday unveiled new border security, trade and regulatory plans to speed the secure passage of billions in dollars in goods across their borders every week.

The deals, designed to harmonize regulations and cut red tape, were announced after talks between US President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the White House.

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"We will make it easier to conduct the trade and travel that creates jobs. We're going to make it harder for those who do us harm and threaten our security," Obama said.

"Because of old systems and heavy congestion it still takes too many products, too long, to cross the borders. And for every business, Canadian or American, time is money."

Harper said the deals, which will likely take years to implement, would create "a new, modern border for a new century," hailing what he said was the most significant step forward in US-Canada cooperation since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Harper said the two deals would enhance the mutual security of the United States and Canada while easing border traffic snarls and delays at the many official crossing points.

"Canada has no friends among America's enemies," Harper said, after the 11th official encounter between the two leaders since Obama took office in 2009.

"Today's agreement will yield lasting dividends to travelers, traders, manufacturers, in fact everybody -- whose legitimate business or pleasure takes them across the border."

Canada and the United States share what is often termed the world's longest undefended border and the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world -- $1.4 billion in goods and services crossed the frontier per day in 2010.

Canada also represents America's largest and fastest growing export market and supports 1.7 million US jobs, according to senior US officials.

Republicans used the meeting to pressure Obama to reverse a recent decision by his administration to delay a process on whether to build the Keystone XL pipeline to pump oil from Canada to the United States.

Supporters say the plan is the ultimate shovel-ready job creation project and could spur the hiring of thousands of workers.

But green campaigners argue that the pipeline would create substantial environmental damage.

The administration has ordered an extra environmental assessment of a possible new route through Nebraska, which could delay a final decision until after next November's election, prompting Obama's opponents to accuse him of dodging a difficult political issue.

Harper's government had pressed Obama to approve the 1,700-mile (2,700-kilometer) pipeline extension, which would stretch through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma before ending up in Texas.

Canada, the pipeline's lead company TransCanada, and Obama's Republican opponents say the $7 billion project would provide the United States with a stable source of energy from an ally and create thousands of jobs.

"While it might make for inconvenient politics for the President, the administration is out of excuses and running out of time," said John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives.

"Prime Minister Harper has made clear that if this project is not approved, American competitors, such as China, will gain from our loss."

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