Feedback Form

Skip navigation

The opinions of individual BTA Border Blog contributors don't necessarily reflect the editorial position of Border Trade Alliance as a whole.

Jun 09

Secretary Napolitano Appoints BTA to DHS HSAC Southwest Border Task Force

Published by PR.
in Advocacy, Import & Export. 0 Comments
SBTF

 

Select Group of Border & Security Experts Will Advise Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Napolitano, & Obama Administration on U.S. - Mexico Border Operations

Border Trade Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of President Maria Luisa O’Connell, as well as BTA Board Member Pancho Kinney, to the newly formed Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) Southwest Border Task Force, a diverse group of national security experts charged with examining the DHS’s efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border and providing advice and recommendations directly to Secretary Napolitano.

At its inaugural meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on June 4, 2009, DHS Secretary Napolitano said the Southwest Border Task Force, “…comprised of law enforcement, elected officials and national security experts from around the country, will advise the Department on key issues facing communities along the Southwest border,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I have asked this group to present me with concrete recommendations to address the complex challenges we face in this region, and their collective expertise will be a critical asset as we work to secure the border while facilitating legal travel and trade.”

The new task force underscores DHS’ emphasis on Southwest border security in response to ongoing drug cartel violence in Mexico. Secretary Napolitano asked the 20-member group to focus on two major challenges: ensuring rigorous inspections processes at ports of entry while facilitating commerce; and assessing the practical consequences of border violence and DHS’ response to communities along the Southwest border.

BTA will be working with it’s members and border stakeholders to provide accurate information, feedback, and expertise that reflect the realities at our our borders, to support any recommendations put before the task force.  Read More →

Share this post

Apr 29

World Health Organization Speaks Out Against Border Closings in Swine Flu Outbreak

Published by Policy.
in Advocacy, Travel & Immigration. 0 Comments

WHO open borders

 

Federal Health Officials Urge Common Sense in Response to H1N1 Influenza Outbreak

On April 27, 2009, World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan issued guidance for the international response to the recent outbreak of influenza in Mexico that has spread internationally.  Key points from the Director-General were:

  • Given the widespread presence of the virus, the Director-General considered that containment of the outbreak is not feasible. The current focus should be on mitigation measures.
  • The Director-General recommended not to close borders and not to restrict international travel. It was considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention.
Further, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control urges common-sense steps individuals can take to prevent infection of influenza and other illnesses:

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

  • Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
  • If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that all U.S. land ports are operating routinely:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is monitoring all information and guidance concerning the outbreak of H1N1 flu. At this time all U.S. ports of entry are open and operating as normal with officers using risk based border screening.

CBP officers and Border Patrol agents are responding to guidance from health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are monitoring the health of incoming travelers and taking all appropriate precautions. CBP collaborates with CDC and local health officials to assess potential threats, including referring a person with symptoms to a CDC quarantine station or a local public health official for evaluation.

CBP reminds U.S. citizens and those with plans to enter the United States from Mexico to monitor health information at the CDC Web site.

For additional information about the federal and international response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak visit CDC , WHO and CBP ’s websites.

Share this post

Apr 27

DHS Secretary Napolitano Address to Border Trade Alliance International Conference 2009

Published by Events.
in Advocacy, Import & Export, Travel & Immigration. 0 Comments

BTA Napolitano

 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano, spoke before the Border Trade Alliance (BTA) International Conference and Congressional Briefing, “New Administration, New Border Policy”, in Washington DC, April 20 & 21, 2009. The Secretary addressed North American Trade, Border Security, Canada and Mexico Relations, Ports of Entry infrastructure and resources, South Bound inspections, and other border policies President Obama’s administration is working on this year.  The full transcript of Secretary Napolitano’s speech and Q&A are below:

Secretary Napolitano: Thank you, thank you. Well, thank you and good morning to everybody. It’s a pleasure to be here and I’ve seen some of you, literally, at the ports. We’ve been traveling quite a bit in my first 90 days as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Yesterday was the three month anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration and I think it can fairly be said that everybody has been running at full speed for those days and so much has been done, but so much is left to be done. So, I want to thank the Border Trade Alliance for having me because the mission of the Department of Homeland Security has such a direct impact on what you do every day.

Last week, I visited three locations on the southern border: El Paso [Texas], Columbus, N.M., and Nogales, Ariz., before heading to Mexico for the second time as Secretary of Homeland Security. That same week, last week, the new Deputy Secretary, she was just confirmed two weeks ago, Jane Hall Lute, visited the northern border at Buffalo and Ottawa. Last month, I also visited Laredo [Texas] and Otay Mesa [Calif.]. And President Obama already has been to Canada and to Mexico. So, clearly you can see, in this first 90 days that we are focused on the border and that we are personally engaged, both from a security standpoint and from a trade standpoint. The two go together. We cannot separate one from the other. Now, to be sure, we face a range of threats at the border from drugs and weapons to human smuggling and human trafficking. And we need to act accordingly to address each of these. So, let me talk about those and then I’ll talk a little bit about the some of the trade impacts. Read More →

Share this post

Mar 05

Secretario de Gobernación, Fernando Gómez Mont, Addresses Border Trade Community

Published by Policy.
in Advocacy, Legislation, Travel & Immigration. 2 Comments

 Secretary Gomez Mont - BTA Conference Mexico 2009

Secretary Gómez Mont, at BTA's Mexico City Conf.

February 24, 2009, Mexico City - Fernando Gomez Mont, Secretary of the Interior (Internal Affairs) in Mexico (Secretario de Gobernación) - head of the agency in tasked with addressing mexico’s narco and public saftey issues - spoke confidently about Mexico’s future and “reinforced” a commitment to the war on organized crime before participants at the “Security and Saftey: The Impact on Cross-Border Trade” Border Trade Alliance Conference in Mexico City. The Secretary encouraged cooperation, vigilance, patience, and responsibility from all levels of governement, the media, and the United States in the war, while reiterating the border region’s continued importance as a vital economic engine central to reform and prosperity in Mexico.

Watch the 4 part series of the presentation and Q & A (in spanish, Q&A below):

Secretary Gomez Mont stressed that when the decision was made to undertake the war on organized crime and corruption in Mexico, “we were aware that it would be costly,” however, abounded Gomez Mont, “we decided to do so, because it is the only morally valid option for a society that aspires to live in peace and freedom and because not doing so is more expensive.”

“The federal government clearly has the goal of restoring peace to our society.” said the Secretary. Later, he went on to say, “We know that without true security in a democracy there can be neither prosperity nor full economic development. The country we want our children to inherit needs to be built on an environment of certainty in which we can develop our potential. Never like today have we recognized the magnitude of the challenge from the federal government and have taken actions to address it.” Read More →

Share this post

Feb 16

$720m in Border Trade Infrastructure Funding in Economic Stimulus Bill

Published by Policy.
in Advocacy, Legislation. 2 Comments
Port Congestion Photo
Photo: Arizona Border Infrastructure Project
New Federal Attention in Addressing Trade and Travel Bottlenecks Will Help Support Millions of Jobs

In a move that will provide wide spread economic benefits by preparing our nation’s ports to meet the trade and security demands of the 21st century, the House and Senate included $720 million for infrastructure upgrades at U.S. land border ports of entry in the final conference agreement on the economic stimulus bill.

Border Trade Alliance, the organization that led the successful bi-partisan congressional effort to include border infrastructure funding in the stimulus, applauds congress for taking an important step in addressing the historic underinvestment at our nation’s port of entry.

According to President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, the key measurement for success of the economic stimulus is creating or saving 4 million jobs in the next year. Updating border ports infrastructure will not only help sustain jobs - 7.1 million jobs are generated by U.S.-Canadian trade alone - but will help to mitigate massive output losses resulting from nation-wide border congestion, which cost the US 55,675 jobs at California land ports in 2007.

The economic impact of investment at our nations’s POEs will not be confined to the border. In 2007, cross-border trade at U.S. land ports supported 3/4 of a trillion dollars in North American economic activity, which contributed more than $363 billion, over 2.5% of GDP, directly to our national economy. Additionally, 34 non-border states listed Canada, Mexico or both as their top two export markets, with many U.S. communities deriving a significant part of their local GDP from exports: Peoria, IL (52.3 percent, $9.2 billion); Davenport, IA (20.6 percent, $3.4 billion); and Cincinnati, OH (14.7 percent, $12.7 billion) are a few of the many specific examples.

Finally addressing the massive shortfall in POEs funding will begin to help reduce cross-border trade bottlenecks, resulting from overburdened and outdated infrastructure, that has added millions to the cost of doing business for manufacturers, transportation firms, and small businesses. Which in turn, will eventually help to lower the cost of goods for U.S. consumers and provide much needed increases in state and local sales tax revenue.


“Investment in cross-border trade and the infrastructure that supports it is a direct investment in the health of our national economy,” said Maria Luisa O’Connell, President of the Border Trade Alliance.  

Of the $720 million in total funding, $300 million will go to GSA for land port of entry infrastructure upgrades “not less than $300 million shall be available for border stations and land ports of entry” and $420 million for CBP “solely for planning, management, design, alteration, and construction of U.S. Customs and Border Protection owned land border ports of entry.”

Download the PDF Release: $720m in Economic Stimulus

Share this post

Mar 07

BTA Border News Roundup: DHS at 5

Published by Director of Policy.
in Border News. 0 Comments

This month marks the 5th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. A Washington Post article reflects on the past success and current challenges facing DHS as it looks forward toward the next five years. One current challenge facing DHS is the completion of nearly 670 miles of border fence by the end of 2008. A second Washington Post article reports mixed results with the more than 300 miles of fence constructed along the Southwest border to-date.

Having led the Bush Administration’s unsuccessful efforts last year to prompt Congressional passage of comprehensive immigration reform, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, along with U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukaskey, have now announced inter-departmental efforts to crack-down on illegal immigration. Similarly, U.S. Senate Republicans have brought forth a package of immigration enforcement measures.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Republic reports on the growing fiscal strain in U.S.-Mexico border counties as a result of local law enforcement and legal action against illegal immigrants. On the northern border, DHS intends to rely on technological solutions to border security the Federal Computing Weekly reports.

The Border Trade Alliance continues to monitor DHS’ progress as it prepares to transition to a new administration in the coming months.

Share this post

Jan 11

WHTI: State Dept. Releases Final Rule on PASS Card

Published by Director of Policy.
in Advocacy, Border News, Travel & Immigration. 5 Comments

On December 31, 2007 the U.S. Department of State published a final rule in the Federal Register on the development of the PASS Card. The wallet-sized, low cost alternative to a U.S. Passport is designed to facilitate efficient and secure cross-border travel at land and sea ports of entry. On June 1, 2009 the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will be implemented, requiring U.S. Passports or other acceptable documents (PASS Card, Enhanced Drivers License (EDL), NEXUS, and SENTRI cards) will be required for citizens to return to the United States from Canada and Mexico at land and sea ports of entry.

The BTA has long advocated for the development of the PASS Card prior to full implementation of WHTI and continues to support the efforts of states that have chosen to pursue the EDL concept. The BTA continues to share recommendations with policymakers to ease the transition toward the final requirements of WHTI.

On January 31, 2008 the current practice of simply providing an oral declaration of citizenship will end. U.S. citizens without a Passport will be required to present two forms of government identification (drivers license, NEXUS card) including proof of citizenship (birth certificate). However, according to the recently published final rule, citizens will not be able to begin applying for the PASS Card until February 1, 2008, leaving travelers without a U.S. Passport no other option than to carry their birth certificate and another acceptable form of identification when crossing the border until their PASS Card application is accepted and the alternative document issued.

The following is a summary of the final rule for the PASS Card:

Published in Federal Register on December 31, 2007

• Citizens may apply for the PASS Card on February 1, 2008.

• PASS Card does not have to be signed to be valid.

• Utilizes RFID vicinity technology to read a unique Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued number that is referenced only within CBP’s secure computer system.

• Fees:

Application fee
Adult (16 yr and older)….$20
Minor (under age 16)………10

Execution fee…………………25
(first time applicants only)

• Total cost:

First time adult………….45
First time minor………..35
Renewal – adult…………20
Renewal – minor……….10

Share this post

Jan 05

The Importance of Trade: NAFTA Bolsters U.S. Economy

Published by Director of Policy.
in Advocacy, Import & Export. 1 Comment

The second day of 2008 marked the end of the remaining tariffs on agricultural products traded between the United States and Mexico, achieving a remaining objective of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Tri-lateral trade between NAFTA members, the United States, Canada and Mexico has increased dramatically since the 1994 inception of the landmark trade liberalization accord.

Despite the success that the North American trade bloc has achieved, U.S. political candidates vying for votes in the contentious presidential primaries have shown lackluster support for NAFTA. Several candidates have remarked that if elected they would revisit the terms of the agreement. While perhaps a popular sentiment politically or at least a deft political strategy of deflecting attention from pressing domestic issues the numbers supporting the importance of trade for the U.S. economy speak for themselves.

In an economic environment where the price of oil hovers at $100 a barrel, a weak U.S. dollar, revived fears of a recession, the U.S. economy has remained on-track with the strong backing of U.S. products exported globally. U.S. exports to our top two markets, Canada and Mexico has surged the last six years – a time of turbulent conditions for the rest of the U.S. economy, increasing by $100 billion from 2001 to 2006. Access to foreign markets is critical to sustaining the bright spot of the U.S. economy, trade. Tampering with this successful trade agreement may yield short-term political gain but only at the expense of our economy.

The Facts:

• U.S. Exports to Canada and Mexico 2001 – 2006

Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Total Exports (billion USD) $265.2 $258.3 $266.9 $299.9 $331.5 $364.4

Source: TradeStats Express™ - National Trade Data U.S. Department of Commerce

• According the U.S. Department of State, in 2006 the United States was the second largest exporter globally (behind Germany), exporting $1 trillion in goods. The U.S. remains the largest exporter of services with $422 billion in 2006.

• U.S. exports to NAFTA partner alone accounted for 35 percent of total U.S. exports in 2006.
Source: United States Trade Representative

• Canada remains the largest destination for U.S. exports, receiving $206.6 billion of U.S. goods through October of 2007.

• Mexico remains the second largest market for U.S. products with over $114 billion in products crossing in from the United States through October 2007.

• Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners was 5.5 percent higher in September 2007 than in September 2006, reaching $66.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The Border Trade Alliance (BTA), a leading trade organization, represents U.S. border communities and advocates for policies to facilitate international trade and commerce within North America.

Share this post

Dec 27

BTA Welcomes Legislation to Study Wait-times - Urges Swift Passage

Published by Director of Policy.
in Advocacy, Legislation. 3 Comments

The Border Trade Alliance (BTA), a leading trade organization, issued its strong support for legislation introduced earlier in December by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-TX) to study the impact of growing wait-times at land border crossings along the U.S. border with Canada and Mexico.

In late August, the BTA wrote a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, to raise the concern of increased delays at land ports of entry. The BTA also brought forth similar concerns and provided recommendations to address the issue of wait-times through its service on the Departments of Homeland Security and State’s Secure Borders Open Doors Advisory Committee (SBODAC).

“The Border Trade Alliance (BTA) appreciates the strong leadership of Senator Hutchison and Congressman Rodriguez on border issues,” said J. Art Macias, Chairman of the Border Trade Alliance. “This legislation provides the ability to quantify wait times at our land ports of entry, which will allow policy-makers to best identify solutions to address the growing concern over wait times and ensure for both our economic and physical security.”

Last year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over 6.6 million trucks and over 30 million personal vehicles crossed the U.S.-Canada border while more than 4.7 million trucks and over 88 million personal vehicles crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

“There are a number of contributing factors to increased wait-times at our border crossings,” said Maria Luisa O’Connell, President of the Border Trade Alliance. “Providing policy-makers and the public with hard data will help identify the root causes of these delays as well as the appropriate federal response. We urge lawmakers to move swiftly to adopt the bills introduced today by Senator Hutchison and Congressman Rodriguez.”

As part of its continued advocacy and outreach efforts on wait-times, the BTA is committed to continue working with the Department of Transportation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies to ensure they receive the necessary resources to secure our ports of entry and facilitate legitimate trade and travel.

Share this post

Dec 18

The Importance of Trade: Impact on Border Communities

Published by Director of Policy.
in Import & Export, Border News. 0 Comments

The economic importance of trade is no more apparent than in U.S. border communities. The Border Trade Alliance (BTA) as an organization that represents border communities and trade has witnessed how cities along both the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders are integrally linked economically with their counterparts north and south and through them, the rest of the global economy. The reliance upon cross-border trade has grown along with the volume of trade with Canada and Mexico.

Canada remains the largest destination for U.S. exports, receiving $206.6 billion of U.S. goods through October of this year alone. Mexico remains the second largest market for U.S. products with over $114 billion in products crossing in from the United States through October 2007. In fact, trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners was 5.5 percent higher in September 2007 than in September 2006, reaching $66.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

A recent op-ed written by U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), highlights the impact of trade in Texas and to the United States. An excerpt of the article follows:

Exchange of goods is good
By KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
Special to the Star-Telegram
Mon. December 10, 2007

Pioneering free-market economist Adam Smith once said, “The answer to the question of free trade is easy once it is seen that the only reason that has ever been offered for protective tariffs or a closed market is, indeed, protection.”

In just over a decade, major developments in U.S. trade policy have allowed Texas to wield trade not only as an instrument of freedom but one of productivity and prosperity for the benefit of our citizens.

Read the full article here.

Share this post

Close
E-mail It