Beyond the Border Action Plan - Horizontal Initiative Report 2016-17

Beyond the Border Action Plan - Horizontal Initiative Report 2016-17 - PDF Version (4.1 MB)

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• THEME 1 | Initiatives 1-11
• THEME 2 | Initiatives 12-24
• THEME 3 | Initiatives 25 and 26
• THEME 4 | Initiatives 27-32
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Appendix D
• Appendix E
• Endnotes

Introduction

On February 4, 2011, Canada and the United States (U.S.) committed to working together through Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The Declaration initiated a new long-term partnership between the two countries built upon a perimeter approach to security and economic competitiveness. The Beyond the Border (BTB) Action Plan,^Footnote1 released in December 2011, set out specific initiatives to secure the Canada-U.S. border and perimeter while facilitating legitimate trade and travel. This horizontal initiative aims to enhance our collective security and accelerate the flow of legitimate goods, services, and people, both at and beyond the border.

The Action Plan sets out joint priorities for achieving a secure and efficient Canada-U.S. border within four areas of cooperation:

• Addressing Threats Early – Threats are stopped before they arrive either in Canada or in the U.S.;
• Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth and Jobs – Legitimate travel and cargo is stimulated and expedited;
• Cross-Border Law Enforcement – Criminals are prevented from leveraging the Canada-U.S. border to commit international crimes; and,
• Critical Infrastructure and Cyber Security – Canada and the U.S. are prepared for and can respond to threats and emergencies.

In total, 32 initiatives are grouped under these four areas; two additional initiatives cover the responsible sharing of personal information and centralized oversight of the Action Plan’s implementation for a total of 34 initiatives.

As the close-out report for the Action Plan, this report provides readers with a cumulative view of progress made during 2016-17, as well as an overall picture, by theme, of the results achieved for Canadians over the five-year period of the Action Plan.

While this report focuses on Government of Canada achievements and progress to date in meeting Action Plan commitments since its inception,joint Canada-U.S. Implementation Reports have been released annually—with the last one ^Footnote2 published in the summer of 2016.

You will find under each theme achievements to date for the initiatives. Highlights include:

• Canada and the U.S. now have a greater understanding of each other’s legal, policy and operational frameworks governing information sharing for national security processes.
• Cooperation is not limited to security issues alone; for example, joint plant and animal assessments are now conducted on third party countries.
• Agreements regarding visa and immigration information sharing as well as the sharing of information on asylum and refugee claimants have been successful as they assist Canadian officials in verifying applicants’ identities, provide new immigration information, and facilitate the travel of low-risk individuals.
• An increase of membership and expansion of benefits for the NEXUS trusted traveller program which contributes to more effective management of the border and an enhanced traveller experience.
• Bi-National Port Operations Committees have been established to ensure cooperation and partnering to enhance collaboration on overall port of entry management, to coordinate emergency responses and preparedness, to integrate enforcement efforts, and to improve the efficiency of mitigation strategies for border wait-times.
• Canada has also demonstrated its joint leadership on international cyber security efforts through the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) in 2015. That Convention is the only international instrument to address cybercrime and the acquisition of digital evidence for criminal justice purposes. It covers not only cybercrimes, such as hacking, but also requires all States Parties to criminalize and assist in the investigation of content offences such as child pornography and other Internet crimes such as fraud.
• Finally, a cross-cutting initiative, shared privacy principles, was the first completed deliverable under the Action Plan. The Canada-U.S. Joint Statement of Privacy Principles^Footnote3 was published in June 2012. These principles have been applied to a number of arrangements under the Action Plan and will be applied to future collaborations under the final phase of the Entry/Exit initiative, among others.

In preparing this close-out report, Public Safety Canada (PS) collected updated information and performance data from all federal BTB organizations that are working on the 32 themed initiatives. Going forward, information on initiatives not yet completed under the Action Plan will be found in each organization’s annual Departmental Results Report (DRR) as of the 2017-18 reporting period.

Overview

The figure below illustrates the ultimate outcomes to which the 34 Beyond the Border initiatives contribute. The four overarching outcomes support the achievement of a secure Canada-U.S. border and perimeter, and the facilitation of legitimate trade and travel. This figure presents the structure used in the report to demonstrate progress on the BTB initiatives.

Beyond the Border Action Plan Ultimate Outcomes

Image Description

This image illustrates the Beyond the Border Action Plan's desired outcomes. There are five ultimate outcomes and two governance-related outcomes which are all linked to specific Beyond the Border Action Plan initiatives. The outcomes are as follows:

Ultimate Outcomes:

The Canada – United States border and perimeter are secure and legitimate trade and travel are facilitated (all Beyond the Border Action Plan initiatives).

Threats are stopped before they arrive either in Canada or in the United States (Initiatives 1-11).

Legitimate travel and cargo are stimulated and expedited (Initiatives 8, 10, 12-15 and 20-24).

Criminals are prevented from leveraging the Canada- United States border to commit transnational crimes (Initiatives 24-26).

Canada and the United States are prepared for and can respond to threats and emergencies (Initiatives 27-32).

Governance Outcomes:

Governance oversees the successful implementation of the Action Plan to maintain transparency and accountability (Initiative 33).

Privacy principles inform and guide information and intelligence-sharing under the BTB Action plan (Initiative 34).

The following table presents the total planned and actual spending figures under the BTB Action Plan for the 2016-17 fiscal year. Breakdowns of these amounts, by participating department/agency, are presented under the different themes in this report.

Total expenditures in 2016-17 amounted to $156,174,837 against $255,944,940 in planned spending, which presents a variance of 39.0%.

The variance between the total planned spending and total actual spending from 2012 to 2017 can be attributed to – in most cases – delays in implementation and staffing issues, but also initiative transfers, as well as cost sharing between departments. Through the course of the Action Plan, Themes 1 and 2 saw the highest variances between planned and actual spending and those were mainly caused by delays in implementation of initiatives and their respective activities. For example, Transport Canada did not receive any project proposal under Initiative 22 and the Canadian Border Services Agency faced delays in the construction of the Marine Container Examination Facilities at Roberts Bank and Burrard Inlet. Savings were realized through cost sharing between Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. In some cases, implementation was dependent on the United States Government counterparts.

Where a variance (≥25%) is presented by a department/agency under a specific initiative, an explanatory note has been included at the end of the report.

THEME 1 | Initiatives 1-11

Addressing Threats Early

Addressing threats at the earliest possible point strengthens the shared security of Canada and the United States, and enables both countries to improve the flow of legitimate goods and people across the Canada-U.S. border.

Under the Action Plan, both countries committed to developing a common approach to assessing threats and identifying those who pose a risk, under the principle that a threat to either country represents a threat to both. Canada and the United States sought to enhance their shared understanding of the threat environment through joint integrated threat assessments, and improvements to their intelligence and national security information sharing. The Action Plan also included work to enhance domain awareness in the air, land and marine environments, and cooperation on countering violent extremism.

Once threats are identified, steps are being taken to stop them — before they occur on either Canadian or U.S. soil. This includes better protecting our countries from offshore food-safety, animal and plant health risks by conducting joint assessments and audits of those systems in third countries. The Action Plan also explored implementing a harmonized approach to screening inbound cargo arriving from offshore to increase security while also expediting movement of this secured cargo across the Canada-U.S. border, under the principle that cargo should be “cleared once, accepted twice.” Beyond cargo, mutually recognized passenger baggage screening (as new technology is deployed and implemented) facilitates movement across our shared border.

Common approaches to perimeter and traveller screening promote security and border efficiency. This involves sharing relevant information to improve immigration and border determinations, establishing and verifying the identities of travellers, and conducting screening at the earliest possible opportunity. It also involves establishing and coordinating entry and exit information systems, including a system which permits sharing information so that the record of a land entry into one country is used to establish an exit record from the other.

Outcomes^Footnote4

Ultimate Outcome

Image Description

This image illustrates the outcomes of Theme 1 of the Beyond the Border Action Plan. This theme is called Addressing Threats Early. The figure demonstrates the linkages between the Intermediate Outcomes and the Ultimate Outcomes for Theme 1. The outcomes are also linked to specific Beyond the Border Action Plan initiatives.

The Ultimate Outcomes for Theme 1 are:

Threats are stopped before they arrive either in Canada or in the United States (Initiatives 1-11). Also, in dotted lines is an outcome stating that Legitimate travel and cargo is stimulated and expedited (Initiatives 8, 10, 12-15 and 20-24). This is an ultimate outcome which is shared between Theme 1 and Theme 2.

Intermediate Outcomes

Image Description

The Intermediate Outcomes for Theme 1 are:

Canada and the United States share a common approach to effectively identify threats to either country (Initiatives 1-4 and 7). Also, in dotted lines is an outcome stating that Ports of entry focus on high-risk goods and individuals by expediting low-risk cargo, passenger baggage and individuals entering either country (Initiatives 5, 6, 8-16 and 20, 22, 24). This is an intermediate outcome which is shared between Theme 1 and Theme 2.  Theme 2 is called Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth and Jobs.

Canada and the United States share a common approach to effectively identify threats to either country (Initiatives 1-4 and 7)

Initiatives 1 (Joint Threat Assessments) and 2 (Information/Intelligence Sharing):
The activities under these initiatives began with Canada and the United States (U.S.) coordinating the creation of a joint inventory of existing intelligence work as well as a gap analysis exercise to enhance the collaborative process used to produce joint intelligence products, including addressing hindrances to collaboration such as information technology (IT) systems incompatibilities. Under initiative 2, joint efforts between Canada and the U.S. have enhanced the cooperation and common understanding of legal, policy and operational frameworks governing information sharing on national security matters. This achieved significant results in resolving barriers and inefficiencies in bilateral information exchange, particularly in the areas of traveller screening and watchlisting.

Activities such as a tabletop exercise in March 2016 strengthened knowledge on how these countries manage ports of entry (POE). In addition, the collaborative relationship between Canada and the U.S. as a result of these initiatives continues to improve day-to-day operational cooperation, particularly the implementation of bilateral information sharing agreements to support bilateral engagement on operational matters. As such, Initiatives 1 and 2 have concluded with Canadian and U.S. partners agreeing they have served the purpose of enhancing cooperation and as a result, these standalone initiatives ended on March 31, 2016.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiatives 1 and 2. All activities formally related to these initiatives ended on March 31, 2016.

Initiative 3 (Domain Awareness):
Over the past five years, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has enhanced its ability to identify, target, and interdict transnational crime through the development of strong relationships with partner organizations and the collective ability to identify gaps and vulnerabilities along the border. Through the collaborative efforts with United States law enforcement, the RCMP has utilized the Capability Gap Analysis Process (CGAP) to identify border technology enhancements.

In the maritime environment, maritime radar and Automatic Identification System (AIS) coverage is significant along the west coast border waterways of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound; the east coast border waters between Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia; and along the border areas of the St. Lawrence Seaway. AIS coverage is also significant throughout the Great Lakes, however, some AIS coverage gaps have been identified in the small inland lakes along the border, where AIS coverage is very limited. The most significant gap identified is in the ability to track smaller (non AIS) vessels in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, where maritime radar coverage is also very limited.

Domain Awareness was an unfunded initiative that required the compilation of a joint inventory of technology deployed along the border. As such, several challenges were identified while fulfilling this initiative, including financial constraints, and geographical, environmental, and implementation obstacles. Yet, overall, the RCMP has successfully met all commitments related to Domain Awareness under the Beyond the Border Action Plan. The RCMP has enhanced domain awareness by creating an inventory of United States and Canadian capabilities in the air, land, and maritime environments along the shared border, and identified gaps and vulnerabilities in capabilities. While the RCMP’s commitments as part of the Beyond the Border Action Plan are complete, and therefore will no longer be reported on annually, domain awareness will continue to be a key piece of the RCMP's Border Integrity program.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 3. Domain awareness will continue to be a key piece of the RCMP's Border Integrity program.

Initiative 4 (Countering Violent Extremism):
Bilateral collaboration on countering violent extremism initiatives and engagement has strengthened Canada-United States (U.S.) relationships and established strong networks. Canadian and U.S. departments worked closely to implement the joint countering violent extremism work plan by coordinating and sharing research, best practices and tools for law enforcement and emphasizing community-based and community-driven efforts.

While the specific commitments under this initiative were met in 2013-14, Canadian federal departments continue to work with their U.S. counterparts to address this complex policy issue bilaterally and through other international fora, such as the Five Country Ministerial, the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s Working Group on Countering Violent Extremism, and the G7 meetings on this topic.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 4. Collaboration with the U.S will continue in the area of countering radicalization to violence.

Initiative 7 (Joint Food/Plant/Animal Assessments/Audits):
During the reporting period, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) collaborated and conducted joint assessments of plants, animal and food safety systems in third countries for the first time. This collaboration increased the confidence in each country’s regulatory agency’s assessment processes. Furthermore, it strengthened the relationships with regulated countries and increased understanding and confidence in their systems that mitigate plant health and risk to North America.

As part of their continuing work on joint assessments, Canada and the United States (U.S.) published a report in 2014 that established the assessment processes and outlines the information-sharing mechanisms on the plant health risks of the Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM). Implementation of several recommendations in the report for program enhancements and expansion to other plant pathways and pests continued with regulated and regulating countries, as well as domestic stakeholders in 2016-17.

In 2016-17, trilateral meetings were held with Russia and Chile, and Canada routinely engaged with Korea, China and Japan. Bilateral work was undertaken with both New Zealand and Mexico on enhancing and expanding foreign outreach approaches and alignment of AGM programs. As well as enhancing the AGM program in 2016-17 under the auspices of the BTB initiative, non-agricultural or forestry commodities, such as steel slabs, pipes and tiles as well as sea containers, were identified as a potential starting point for the expansion of the AGM program. Initial discussions with regulated countries such as Russia, and regulating countries such as New Zealand and Chile, began in 2016-17. This will further mitigate plant health risks at origin in 2017-18 and beyond.

Continued engagement with countries regulated for AGM as well as with the marine shipping industry resulted in high compliance rates for both the number of ships arriving to Canada properly certified and the number of ships on which AGM was not detected in 2016. Highlights of the 2016-17 reporting period included: a Canada-U.S. joint assessment of Russia’s AGM program in September 2016 and on-going engagement with Russia on AGM; increased outreach to the maritime shipping industry in regulated countries; engagement and collaboration with Chile and New Zealand where possible; as well as aligning Chile and New Zealand’s pre-departure certification programs with those of North America to simplify requirements for regulated countries and the shipping industry. Work with the U.S. was initiated on expanding AGM joint outreach principles to other pathways such as sea containers. Maintaining engagement with the United States, AGM-regulated and AGM-regulating countries in a regular and predictable manner has been critical to the success of the AGM program.

As outlined in the BTB Action Plan: Asian Gypsy Moth Joint Assessment, “the United States and Canada recognize the tri-lateral approach and certification as a key measure in preventing AGM introduction into North America.” On-going, predictable support by regulating countries is essential to continue the multilateral approach to engage in activities related to maintaining and enhancing the AGM program and expanding it to other countries and pathways.

The AGM is a cyclical pest and based on the information available, the current population is low. Building and maintaining relationships, making program adjustments and advancing program activities prior to a rise in the pest population is essential to facilitate a response to future AGM outbreaks in countries of origin. Without continued engagement, regulated parties may re-prioritize activities and not be as prepared for future outbreaks.

Next steps for this initiative are to continue with multilateral engagement and implementation of report recommendations and establish a work plan for the expansion and enhancement of joint outreach to mitigate plant health risks; including AGM, to North America. Collaboration with the U.S will continue in the area of food/plant/animal assessments/audits and outreach.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 7. Collaboration with the U.S will continue in the area of food/plant/animal assessments/audits.

Ports of entry focus on high-risk goods and individuals by expediting low-risk cargo, passenger baggage and individuals entering either country (Initiatives 5, 6, 8-16 and 20, 22, 24)

Initiative 5 (Integrated Cargo Security):
As part of the BTB Action Plan, Canada and the United States (U.S.) agreed to develop a harmonized approach – the Integrated Cargo Security Strategy (ICSS) – to screening inbound cargo arriving from off-shore, under the principle of “cleared once, accepted twice”, in order to enhance security and expedite the movement of legitimate cargo.

To test, validate and inform the implementation of the ICSS, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) jointly launched several pilots: a marine-to-rail pilot in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a marine-to-highway pilot in Montreal, Quebec, and the Tamper Evident Technology Pilot. Nationally, the CBSA and Transport Canada (TC) undertook the Pre-load Air Cargo Targeting (PACT) initiative.

The CBSA and the CBP launched the Prince Rupert port and Port of Montreal pilots in 2012-13 in order to facilitate the flow of cargo arriving at each port and transitioning to the U.S. In order to reduce the duplication of efforts at the Canada-U.S. land border, the CBSA tested targeted examinations of at-risk cargo at the perimeter based on information provided by the CBP. Both pilots concluded in 2014-2015 and the assessments that followed concluded that while screening for national security purposes was tested, a series of legislative and operational differences between Canada and the U.S. prevented either pilot from fully testing the concept of “cleared once, accepted twice” for other purposes. As a result, the CBSA and the CBP agreed to revert to pre-pilot activities at the Port of Montreal, and to implement the enhanced joint mitigation national security and contraband (i.e. narcotics) risks at the perimeter in Prince Rupert.

In conjunction with these ICSS pilots, Tamper Evident Technology pilots were launched in Prince Rupert and Montreal in 2012-13 to secure cargo in-Transit by applying High Security Bolt Seals (HSBS) to containers examined and released by the CBSA. The Tamper Evident Technology pilot demonstrated that the use of tamper evident technology provides an added layer of security that helps safeguard the integrity of containers; however, the CBSA and the CBP were unable to test electronic seals – a second component of the pilot – bi-nationally. The CBSA and the CBP formally concluded the operational testing phase of the Tamper Evident Technology pilot in 2014-15. The CBSA continues to use high security bolt seals to secure examined containers.

Nationally, the CBSA and TC launched a PACT pilot in 2012-13 where air cargo destined for Canada was assessed offshore for aviation and national security purposes prior to departure. The results of that pilot demonstrated that the data provided by volunteer air carriers and freight forwarders were sufficient to conduct initial risk assessments for aviation security/imminent threat purposes (e.g. explosives). The CBSA and TC launched phase II of the PACT pilot in 2015-16 with the objective of developing the program and policy components required to implement PACT as a permanent national program. Since then, TC continues to lead the operational targeting component of PACT, while working to incrementally utilize PACT as a mitigation tool for high-risk inbound air cargo. 

Through the Integrated Cargo Security initiative, Canada and the U.S. each formally reviewed the other’s national air cargo security program and achieved mutual recognition of their respective programs that eliminated the need for re-screening of individual air cargo shipments as of March 31, 2012. This agreement was renewed in March 31, 2015 for a further three years.

The two countries also agreed to develop a common set of Advance Data Requirements for goods crossing their common borders, such as goods with a U.S. destination but moving within Canada and across multiple ports of entry-exit, and vice-versa. A joint CBSA-CBP working group was established for the domestic In-Transit initiative to reduce complexity and facilitate the movement of cargo for domestic goods not intended to enter the commerce of the country being transited. All data element requirements for standard highway/truck movements of each country were examined and a reduced harmonized data set was created. The domestic In-Transit design will allow both countries to share data for risk assessment and admissibility, while maintaining control of non-duty paid merchandise on the basis of a single transmission from trade. Thus far, the CBSA has identified legal, logistical and policy-related challenges to the domestic In-Transit initiative and both countries are seeking to resolve them.

As a result of this initiative, Canada and the U.S. continue to work together to identify and mitigate risks as early as possible in the supply chain as they present a threat to their shared border.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 5.

Initiative 6 (Passenger Baggage Screening):
United States (U.S.) federal regulations require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to re-screen passengers and their property coming from other countries before they are permitted into sterile areas at airports in the U.S. In February 2012, Canada began the deployment of new Explosives Detection Systems equipment certified by TSA at its eight airports with preclearance facilities. As it was deployed, this new technology enabled the U.S. to progressively lift the requirements to re-screen baggage originating from these Canadian airports.

Since the deployment began, six of the preclearance airports have had the rescreening requirement lifted by the TSA. The two remaining airports have deployed the technology, and Transport Canada (TC) is working with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to have the re-screening requirement lifted for these airports by March 2018.

TC and the CATSA implemented the following two ‘security benefit’ indicators in 2016-17:

• Percentage of checked bags screened by computed tomography (CT) hold baggage screening equipment at the eight preclearance airports. CATSA has been tracking this data by using the amount of baggage screened by a newer system. The indicator has an 87% baseline and a target of 100%. The actual measurement as of December 31, 2016 was 100% of baggage screened by the newer system.
  
• Operational availability of computed tomography (CT) hold baggage screening equipment at the eight preclearance airports. CATSA has also been tracking and providing the data for the screening equipment deployed at transborder locations. The indicator has a 98% baseline and a target of 98% with 24/7 availability. Both indicators reached or surpassed their target as of December 31, 2016. The actual measurements as of December 31, 2016 were 99.15% with 24/7 availability.

Canada and the U.S. now mutually recognize baggage screening using CT technology as it was deployed and implemented at the eight Canadian preclearance airports.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 6.

Initiative 8 (Electronic Travel Authorization):
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began work on developing an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) program to improve screening for all visa-exempt foreign nationals in 2012-13. This initiative allows the Government of Canada to screen visa-exempt foreign nationals (excepting United States citizens) at the earliest opportunity, before they seek to board a plane to Canada, in order to determine whether or not they pose an admissibility or security risk. The cost of the eTA has been set at $7 CDN and as of August 1, 2015, prescribed travellers have been able to voluntarily complete an application on the IRCC website, and since March 15, 2016, prescribed travellers are required to hold an eTA when seeking to travel to, or enter, Canada by air. In order to help ensure a smooth transition to enforcement, the Government established a leniency period through September 2016, which was subsequently extended to November 9, 2016. During the leniency period, Border Services Officers (BSOs) could allow travellers arriving without an eTA to enter Canada, provided that they were not otherwise inadmissible. This program allows IRCC to manage eligibility and admissibility to Canada by screening clients against safety and security criteria established in cooperation with its federal security partners.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 8.

Initiative 9 (Interactive Advance Passenger Information):
In October 2015, after several years of development which included consultations with air carriers, the Interactive Advance Passenger Information (IAPI) system was implemented. Shortly thereafter, the onboarding of commercial air carriers to the IAPI platform began. Air Canada, which represents 40% of electronic travel authorizations (eTA) volumes, was successfully onboarded to IAPI on March 15, 2016. The IAPI system electronically validates whether travellers possess the required Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) travel documentation, including visas and eTA. This validation takes place prior to the boarding of international flights bound for Canada by providing commercial air carriers with a board/no-board recommendation for each traveller, and ensuring that traveller Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) information is received as early as 72 hours in advance to initiate the targeting and IAPI board/no-board process.

There are currently 241 commercial carriers and 18 Service Providers registered to the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) API/PNR Program (which includes certification for IAPI) who provide the required API/PNR information to CBSA. From November 10, 2016 to March 31, 2017, IAPI issued over 12.6 million “board” and “no-board” messages, with nearly 2 million of these messages informing commercial air carriers that the traveller was not properly documented for travel to Canada. Per day, the CBSA issued “no-board” messages for 1.58% of travellers which amounts to an average of approximately 1,400 travellers. During this period, on average, 87,376 travellers per day had a “board” message issued by the CBSA and were properly documented for travel to Canada. The CBSA maintains a list of service providers certified with the Agency for API and/or PNR data transmission, which is available upon request.

The IAPI contributes to preventing prescribed persons and improperly documented foreign nationals from reaching Canadian ports of entry prior to an oncoming flight departure, thereby protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and enhancing public safety.

A new Canada-European Union (EU) PNR agreement was signed in June 2014, and its ratification by the European Parliament (EP) was expected in January 2015. However, ratification was delayed when the EP voted instead to refer the PNR agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) for an assessment of the agreement’s compatibility with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. As a result of the delay in ratification of the treaty, PNR continues to be transmitted to the CBSA only at flight departure. If the Government of Canada is successful in renegotiating the treaty or a decision is made to allow the related regulations to come into force without the support of the treaty, PNR would be transmitted to the CBSA as early as 72 hours prior to flight departure. Once the treaty has been ratified and the regulations are enforced, IAPI will further strengthen security for Canadians by increasing the availability of pre-departure information that may be used for targeting and intelligence purposes to identify high-risk travellers.

In relation to project performance, IAPI has not led to a decrease in the number of administration fees issued to air carriers. This is primarily due to the fact that eTA is a new entry requirement for a large population of travellers and an adjustment period is to be expected – both on the side of the air carriers and the travellers who now face a documentary requirement that they have not had in the past.

The close link between IAPI and the IRCC’s eTA initiative resulted in several issues related to data quality. In addition, feedback from the air industry stakeholders and the commercial airlines themselves highlighted the need for on-going assistance. Consequently, in November 2016, the CBSA implemented the Air Carrier Support Centre (ACSC) to assist air carrier’s representatives with the IAPI messaging process. The ACSC received 49,611 calls between November 10, 2016 and March 31, 2017; an average of 349 calls per day for that period. Moreover, as part of the IAPI Technical Help Desk, the API/PNR Program Support Line began assisting commercial airlines with IAPI-related technical inquiries on November 10, 2016.

The CBSA continues to meet with the Airline Industry Working Group (AIWG) stakeholders to provide updates on the project, discuss potential impacts, and work towards resolving any issues. From the successes, challenges, and mitigation measures that were deployed to resolve program gaps, the CBSA has learned many lessons from IAPI. To mitigate the issues IAPI experienced and ensure the success of the initiative, the CBSA implemented the ACSC and Information Technology (IT) system fixes to combat data quality issues. ACSA has become a key eTA/IAPI resource for the air industry.

In early 2018, IAPI will deploy its second major system release which will allow the CBSA’s National Targeting Centre to issue manual “no-board” messages for travellers who are prescribed persons. Performance monitoring of IAPI will continue through its Benefits Realization Plan and Performance Measurement Strategy. To meet project commitments, the CBSA will also conduct an internal review of the project in winter 2018 followed by a full evaluation in 2019.

Through IAPI initiative the CBSA succeeded in not only establishing successful partnerships with the air Industry, but was also able to develop a common Canada-U.S. approach to screening travellers through the “board/no-board” process. The CBSA intends to utilize the AIWG forum to further discuss the development and implementation of future initiatives such as Entry/Exit.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 9.

Initiative 10 (Immigration Information Sharing):
The Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America for the Sharing of Visa and Immigration Information was signed on December 13, 2012 and came into force in 2013. That same year, Canada and the United States (U.S.) launched a system for the automated exchange of immigration information using biographic-based queries (i.e., name, date of birth, passport nationality, etc.).

In 2015, Canada and the U.S. successfully launched an automated biometric-based (fingerprint) query capability. Canada now sends the U.S. biographic-based queries on all temporary and permanent resident applicants, and biometric-based queries on all immigration applications for which biometrics are required.

The benefits to Canada of these information sharing activities are clear: U.S. data assists Canadian officials in verifying applicants’ identities; uncovers previously unknown immigration information; and facilitates the travel of individuals who are identified as low-risk.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 10. Both biographic-based and biometric-based immigration information sharing capabilities have been implemented with the U.S. Information sharing occurs in compliance with applicable frameworks and regulations.

Initiative 11 (Entry/Exit Information System):
The Entry/Exit initiative has established coordinated entry and exit information systems between Canada and the United States (U.S.) to exchange biographic information (e.g. name, citizenship) of third-country nationals and permanent residents, such that a record of entry into one country constitutes a record of exit from the other.

During the 2016-17 reporting period, virtually all (96.4%) U.S. entry records (exits from Canada) were successfully reconciled to an entry record previously collected by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Entry/Exit continues to allow the CBSA to close outstanding immigration warrants and reprioritize ongoing investigations for persons identified as having departed Canada. On March 10, 2016, Canada’s Prime Minister and the U.S. President reaffirmed the commitment to a coordinated entry and exit information system, and pledged to build upon the process already in place.

To date, the Government of Canada has not fully met its commitments under Initiative 11; however, work continues towards full implementation of the initiative, including the collection of exit information on Canadian citizens and all travellers departing Canada in the air mode. Full implementation is dependent on legislative and regulatory authorities. Implementing legislation, Bill C-21 (An Act to Amend the Customs Act) was introduced in the House of Commons on June 15, 2016 and was pending passage at the time of writing. The CBSA, in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, continues to work toward system readiness for full implementation.

The CBSA will continue to monitor, track results and report on this Initiative through its Benefits Realization Plan and Performance Measurement Strategy as well as the Agency Performance Summary.

The Government of Canada has not fully met its commitments under Initiative 11 and will continue the work once legislative and regulatory authorities are obtained.

THEME 2 | Initiatives 12-24

Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth and Jobs

The free flow of goods and services between Canada and the United States (U.S.) creates significant economic benefits for both countries. As the two countries work to strengthen the security of the shared perimeter, initiatives to create more openness at the land border for legitimate travel and trade were also pursued under the BTB Action Plan.

Enhancing the benefits of programs that help trusted businesses and travellers move efficiently across the border is a key element of this approach. This is being achieved through adopting a common framework for trusted trader programs that aligns requirements, enhances member benefits and provides applicants with the opportunity to submit one application to multiple programs, and by increasing harmonized benefits to NEXUS members. Enhancing the facilities that support these trusted traveller and trader programs is also key to achieving this goal.

Expanding beyond existing programs and developing additional initiatives for expediting legitimate travellers and cargo increases the economic benefits to Canada and the U.S. Expanding preclearance to all modes of travel will give more travellers and traders access to these services and will expedite cross-border travel and business. Providing a single window through which importers can electronically submit all information to comply with customs and other participating government agency regulations aims to eliminate duplicate processes at the border and provide consistent application of Canada’s commercial import reporting requirements. Harmonizing the Canadian and U.S. low-value shipment processes expedites customs administration.

Investment in improving shared border infrastructure and technology ensures that benefits last for years. Coordinating border infrastructure investment and upgrades to physical infrastructure at key border crossings and at small and remote ports of entry ensures maximum investment benefit. This includes implementing a border wait-time measurement system at mutually determined high-priority Canada-United States border crossings, facilitating secure passage and expediting processing through implementing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology at appropriate crossings and enhancing bi-national port operation committees.

Outcomes^Footnote24

Ultimate Outcome

Image Description

This image illustrates the outcomes of Theme 2 of the Beyond the Border Action Plan. This theme is called Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth and Jobs. This figure demonstrates the linkages between the Intermediate Outcomes and the Ultimate Outcomes for Theme 2. The outcomes are also linked to specific Beyond the Border Action Plan initiatives.

The Ultimate Outcomes for Theme 2 are:

Legitimate travel and cargo is stimulated and expedited (Initiatives 8, 10, 12-15 and 20-24).

Also, in dotted lines is an outcome stating that Criminals are prevented from leveraging the Canada-United States border to commit transnational crimes (Initiatives 24-26). This is an intermediate outcome which is shared between Theme 2 and Theme 3.

Intermediate Outcomes

Image Description

The Intermediate Outcomes for Theme 2 are:

Ports of entry focus on high-risk goods and individuals by expediting low-risk cargo, passenger baggage and individuals entering the country (Initiatives 5, 6, 8-16 and 20, 22, 24).

Processes, incentives and infrastructure facilitate cross-border trade (Initiatives 12 -24).

Also, in dotted lines is an outcome stating that Canada and the United States cooperate on national security and transnational criminal investigations (Initiatives 24-26). This is an intermediate outcome which is shared between Theme 2 and Theme 3.  Theme 3 is called Cross-Border Law Enforcement.

Ports of entry focus on high risk goods and individuals by expediting low-risk cargo, passenger baggage and individuals entering either country (Initiatives 5, 6, 8-16 and 20, 22, 24)

Initiative 12 (Enhancing Benefits for Trusted Trader Programs):
The BTB Action Plan committed Canada and the United States (U.S.) to align and enhance the benefits of their Trusted Trader programs to further facilitate the cross-border movement of low-risk trade and reduce the costs of compliance with customs requirements.

The enhancements made under this initiative continue to achieve these objectives. Members in trusted programs have experienced reduced rates of examination of their shipments, expediting the flow of legitimate goods while supporting the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to focus on shipments of high or unknown risk. In 2016-17, enhancements to the program have exceeded expectations with respect to membership growth (259 actual, 155 target) and the value for duty of trusted shipments (34.5% actual, 27% target). This has contributed to a large volume of goods receiving facilitated entry into Canada.

In June 2014, the CBSA launched a Trusted Trader Portal (TTP) which allows clients to submit applications and membership updates electronically to CBSA and provides a more efficient and timely management tool for program processes. This leads to a decrease in manual data entry allowing the CBSA to process an increase in applications and realize time savings during key application processing phases. Work continues on streamlining system enhancements to the TTP and on the further development of a Trusted Trader Performance Reporting tool, which will enable enhanced performance monitoring and reporting of all stages of the application and membership maintenance process. It is expected to be delivered in 2018.

Further enhancements included the expansion of the program to include non-resident (U.S.) importers (NRI’s) participation in the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) program and amendments to the Accounting for Imported Goods and Payment of Duties Regulations that were published in 2013 to expand CSA eligibility to NRIs. In June 2014, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness announced further enhancements to Canada’s Trusted Trader Program which resulted in the launch of the CSA-Platinum benefit which was aligned with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Importer Self-Assessment program. An information sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2014 to formalize the exchange of program related information in order to fully administer harmonized memberships.

In 2015-16, the CBSA and the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) met to discuss possible options that would allow the importation of other government departmental (OGD) goods from the U.S. into Canada under the CSA program. No mutually satisfactory solution was found. During 2015, the CBSA explored many options for IT system changes that were necessary for expedited front line processing to support this initiative. Following extensive analysis and consultation, recommendations to expand the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) benefits, including infrastructure, were finalized. Detailed plans were also developed for FAST lane expansion/modification at three high-volume commercial ports of entry.

In addition to the FAST infrastructure expansion, the CBSA made additional commitments to extending FAST lane eligibility to members of a single Trusted Trader program, rather than requiring membership in both the Partners in Protection and Customs Self-Assessment programs. This expansion requires modifications to the Agency’s commercial processing IT systems and the CBSA continues to work towards fulfilling this commitment contingent on funding. Once launched, the CBSA will have increased the number of trusted traders that have access to the FAST lane benefit.

2016-17 saw efforts to further the alignment of program requirements, harmonization of the Partners in Protection (PIP) and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) programs in the areas of policy, procedures, and processing practices which will enable eligible highway carriers to apply to both programs using a single application process through one portal. Harmonized members or applicants will also benefit from having only one site validation performed to maintain their membership in both programs.

Once the additional commitments are implemented, Initiative 12 results will continue to be monitored and tracked through CBSA’s Benefits Realization Plan and Performance Measurement Strategy as well as the Agency Performance Summary.

The Government of Canada has not fully met its commitments under Initiative 12 and will continue the work on streamlining system enhancements to the Trusted Trader Portal and on the FAST infrastructure expansion.

Initiative 13 (Increasing Harmonized Benefits to NEXUS Members):
As part of a trusted traveller program, NEXUS members are pre-approved as low-risk travellers who enjoy the benefit of expedited travel. This initiative was designed to increase and retain membership in the NEXUS program to support strategic management of the border, by enabling resources at ports of entry to be focused more on unknown or higher-risk individuals and less on members of NEXUS.

Beginning in 2012, both the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the United States (U.S.) Customs and Border Protection have regularly held enrolment blitzes to respond to increased demand for NEXUS membership and reduce wait times for applicants. Increasing NEXUS membership has been very successful: the program reached the one million member milestone in July 2014 and as of December 2015, there were 1.3 million NEXUS members. In 2016-17, NEXUS membership increased to 1.5 million. Of the roughly 58 million overall travellers crossing the Canada-U.S. land border, approximately 6.7 million took advantage of NEXUS lanes – accounting for about 12% of all traveller crossings and some 15% of all vehicle crossings.

Benefits for NEXUS members have expanded under this initiative, and the U.S. now recognizes NEXUS membership for Trusted Traveller lines at pre-board screening points for flights from Canada to the U.S. The number of Canadian airports with designated Trusted Traveller lines, or that have dedicated entrances that allow NEXUS members to proceed directly to the front of the screening line, have increased. Additionally, Canadian NEXUS members are now eligible to participate in the Transport Security Administration’s (TSA’s) Pre✓™program and members can use this program when booking flights on participating airlines from participating airports within the U.S. and to select international destinations. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) has adopted some of the TSA’s Pre✓™ program practices at four of Canada’s busiest airports (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto-Pearson Terminals 1 and 3, and Montreal) in order to allow NEXUS members to have access to faster security screening.

At the 2014 North American Leaders Summit, the three North American leaders committed to develop a Trilateral Trusted Traveller Arrangement to enable eligible citizens/nationals in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. to apply to one another’s trusted traveller programs. To support the implementation of this Arrangement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2015, and an operational program plan approved in 2016. The implementation of this arrangement will occur in two phases.

In April 2017, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico plan to implement the first phase of the North American Trusted Traveller Arrangement. Mexican nationals who are members of Mexico’s trusted traveller program, Viajero Confiable, will be able to apply for the NEXUS program, making them eligible for expedited processing at Canadian and U.S. border crossings. Collaboration between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will continue in order to implement the second, final phase by 2018, which will allow Canadian and US citizens who are NEXUS members to apply for Mexico’s Viajero Confiable Program.

The second part of the commitment was intended to advance risk-based passenger screening to improve the efficiency of air transportation. To accomplish this, CATSA provided NEXUS members access to dedicated trusted traveller lines at pre-clearance screening checkpoints where NEXUS members receive a simpler screening process similar to the Transportation Security Administrator's Pre✓™ Program. At these screening lines, trusted travellers do not have to remove shoes, belts, hats, light jackets, and can keep permitted liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on bags.

To assess whether NEXUS members found this service more efficient and were satisfied with it, CATSA measured the processing time for trusted travellers compared to all other travellers at the checkpoint (e.g. time from which a passenger divests their belongings to the time they exit the checkpoint). While the results showed no meaningful improvement in processing time, it validated that the true benefits of the program are the dedicated lines which have little to no queuing time for low-risk passengers, making transiting through NEXUS lines faster in comparison to transiting through regular screening lines. The passenger surveys showed that trusted travellers had a high level of satisfaction.

Since the introduction of dedicated trusted traveller lines at pre-clearance checkpoints, the program has expanded to include dedicated lines at domestic and international checkpoints at Canada’s eight major airports, with a total of 23 lines. At an additional 18 checkpoints, trusted travellers receive front-of-the-line service in the queue but must follow regular divesting and screening procedures when using these standard screening lines.

Access to the dedicated lines was expanded to include other low-risk passengers such as members of the U.S. Global Entry Program, serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, U.S. military, international air crew, Canadian aircrew and airport workers with a restricted area identity card, and passengers accompanying these trusted travellers on the same flight.

Work is currently underway to examine how to improve the speed and convenience of the dedicated screening lines, which could lead to decreased wait-times in the other screening lines.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 13 and will continue to work with the U.S. and Mexico on the Trilateral Trusted Traveller Arrangement.

Processes, incentives and infrastructure facilitate cross-border trade (Initiatives 12-24)

Initiative 14 (Enhancing Facilities to Support Trusted Trader and Traveller Programs):
As part of the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) Expansion Project, on February 28, 2017, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) opened a new dedicated FAST lane and booth at Fort Erie, ON. This lane and booth is available from 10:00-18:00 on weekdays for Trusted Trader members. Also on February 28, 2017, the existing FAST lane at Pacific Highway, BC, was modified to a FAST-1st model, which uses traffic signals and an automated traffic control system to provide eligible vehicles priority access. This dedicated FAST lane is now available on a 24/7 basis and allows for a more efficient use of front line operation resources.

Additional work was carried out with respect to Performance Measurement Technology (PMT) which was recently implemented at the Fort Erie location, and progress is being made to procure and implement the same PMT for the Pacific Highway location, targeting late 2017-18. The opening of the third FAST lane in Emerson, MB is dependent on the timelines of the commercial plaza redesign project that is currently underway. Timelines for completion of FAST implementation at Emerson, MB is late 2018/early 2019.

As committed to in the BTB Action Plan, all 14 NEXUS lanes have been installed at the following land border locations: Abbotsford, BC; Aldergrove, BC; Douglas, BC (2 lanes); Pacific Highway, BC (3 lanes); Lacolle, QC; Stanstead, QC; Fort Erie, ON; Queenston, ON; Sarnia, ON; and, Windsor, ON (2 lanes).

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 14.

Initiative 15 (Pre-Inspection and Preclearance):
Development of additional initiatives for expediting legitimate travellers and cargo by implementing cargo pre-inspection, and enhancing and expanding preclearance initiatives has progressed steadily since the launch of the Action Plan. Work began in earnest in 2013 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a two-phased truck cargo pre-inspection pilot to take place on Canadian soil. Phase I of the project concluded in November of that year at the Pacific Highway crossing between Surrey, BC and Blaine, Washington. Phase II was launched in February 2014 at the Peace Bridge crossing between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York and concluded in January 2015. This pilot tested technologies and joint United States (U.S.)-Canada procedures to conduct primary truck processing in Canada while retaining secondary processing in the U.S. However, ultimately this pilot found there were other methods that would reduce wait times that would cost less to implement. In 2015, as a result of this pilot, the United States Customs and Border Protection committed to eliminating user fee cash collection at primary inspection, updating technology connectivity and mandating advance electronic filing of manifests for all commercial entries.

Negotiations on a comprehensive preclearance approach for all modes of cross-border trade and travel were finalized in 2014-15 and the Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine and Air Transport Preclearance (LRMA) was signed on March 16, 2015. The LRMA provides a legal framework for preclearance operations to expand to all modes of transport in Canada and the United States, and for the current pre-inspection rail and marine sites in BC to convert to full preclearance operations. This framework also supports cargo preclearance. On March 10, 2016, Canada and the U.S. signed a Joint Statement of Intent which included a commitment to move forward with the implementation of the LRMA and an agreement-in-principle to expand preclearance in Canada to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport, Montreal Central train station and Rocky Mountaineer train service in Vancouver. Both countries also committed to explore the terms and conditions necessary to pursue cargo pre-inspection and/or preclearance pilot sites. The LRMA will allow not only for preclearance operations to expand to all modes of transport in Canada, it will enable the current pre-inspection sites in BC convert to full preclearance operations and allow for Canada to set up preclearance operations in the U.S. This Agreement also has a cargo preclearance component and work continues on developing pilots.

Bill C-23, the Preclearance Act 2016, is expected to receive Royal Assent in late 2017. Canadian and U.S. officials continue to work together, and with stakeholders, to prepare for implementation of the LRMA and the potential expansion to new sites/modes for travellers and the potential for cargo preclearance. Regulatory changes are also necessary before the LRMA can be ratified in Canada and work on those changes is ongoing.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 15.

Initiative 16 (Facilitating the Conduct of Cross-Border Business):
Under the Action Plan, Canada and the United States committed to specific measures to facilitate the conduct of cross-border business and to propose options for regular stakeholder engagement on cross-border business travel. The Government of Canada met its commitments in 2013-14 through the training of front-line officers to improve the consistency of border determinations, changes to the NEXUS client profile to allow for the incorporation of work permit information, and changes to existing rules authorizing temporary entry of business visitors who provide after-sale service. Completion of the various elements of this initiative has contributed to the intermediate outcome by lessening the burden on travellers and commercial traders, thus facilitating travel and commercial trade.

Though it has met its commitments, the Government of Canada continues to explore opportunities with the United States with respect to cross-border business travel facilitation.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 16.

Initiative 17 (Single Window):
The Single Window Initiative (SWI) is a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)-led project which provides a single window through which importers can electronically submit all information to comply with customs and other government regulations. The SWI aims to eliminate redundant processes at the border and provide consistent application of Government of Canada’s commercial import reporting requirements. It also aligns with international standards and enhances government service delivery for the trade community through simplified border processing.

The SWI went live on March 29, 2015. Since that time, CBSA has incorporated nine participating departments and agencies, encompassing 38 programs. It is expected that the SWI will have replaced 98% of all licenses, permits and certificates and other import documentation of the 38 programs in paper forms with electronic references by April 2017.

As the use of the Integrated Import Declaration (IID) is voluntary for commercial importers and brokers, the CBSA is actively conducting stakeholder engagement sessions with trade chain partners and industry stakeholders to increase the uptake and realize the expected benefits of the SWI. The CBSA SWI will continue working on providing enhancements to functionality, further onboarding of programs, certification of trade chain partners, implementation of outreach improvements and integration within the Commercial System enhancements under eManifest.

In fall 2017, the CBSA will be announcing a strategy to decommission two legacy service release options for goods regulated by other departments and agencies. The CBSA is conducting outreach activities in collaboration with other participating departments and agencies to encourage on-boarding to the SWI by trade chain partners in advance of the targeted decommissioning date of April 1, 2019. The CBSA is also working with three departments and agencies that have regulations requiring paper permits or licenses to translate these requirements to electronic data, if possible. The SWI portal is available online on the CBSA website.^Footnote34

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 17 and will continue with outreach activities to encourage on-boarding.

Initiative 18 (Harmonizing Low Value Shipment Thresholds):
Under the Action Plan, Canada and the United States (U.S.) agreed to promote supply chain connectivity by harmonizing low value shipment processes to expedite customs administration. As set out in the Action Plan, on January 8, 2013 the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) concurrently increased their low-value shipment thresholds to $2,500 from the existing level of $1,600 in Canada and $2,000 in the United States. Canada also increased the low-value shipment threshold to $2,500 for exemption from North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Certificate of Origin requirements, aligning it with the threshold of the U.S.

In 2015-16 and 2016-17, the CBSA processed 99% of all low-value shipments on the same day of arrival. Due to the nature of the program, all goods which are not seized after examination or found to be ineligible for release under the program are processed on the same day. This percentage has remained consistent since the inception of the Courier Low-Value Shipment (CLVS) Program in 1993 in spite of the increased volume of shipments. In order to continue meeting commitments in the face of exponential volume growth, the CBSA is undertaking the development of an e-Commerce Strategy in support of efforts to modernize the CLVS program and will continue to collaborate with U.S. CBP and other Border Five (B5) partners (the UK, Australia and New Zealand).

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 18 and is continuing on the development of an e-Commerce Strategy.

Initiative 19 (Accountability for Border Fees/Charges):
To bring greater public transparency and accountability to the application of border fees and charges, Canadian ^Footnote35and U.S.^Footnote36 border fee inventories were developed and posted online in December 2013. These inventories set out the purpose and legal basis of these fees and charges, how they are collected, how much is collected, their intended use, and the rationale for collecting them at the border. They include fees that are applied to the entry of goods into the country, mandatory to each and every shipment, established by legal authority (a law, regulation or statutory authority), and administered by a department or agency of either federal government.

In 2013-14, a third party contractor was commissioned to conduct an economic impact assessment of border fees. The assessment focused on the economic impact of border fees and charges included in the inventories on motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts manufacturing, as well as vegetable and melon farming industries in Canada and the United States.

This assessment concluded in 2014-15 and the executive summary was published on the Public Safety Canada website ^Footnote37 on April 7, 2016, with the full study available upon request. Overall, the study's results indicate that the border fees in the inventories analyzed make up a small component of the overall cost of crossing the Canada-U.S. border for the private sector. The report also noted that structural differences in how fees are applied can lead to differences in their effects, with the results indicating that fees have a greater impact on industries in Canada.

The publication of this assessment completed the Government of Canada’s commitment under this initiative.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 19.

Initiative 20 (Expanding and Upgrading Infrastructure at Key Crossings):
This Initiative involved two elements: investments to improve infrastructure at key crossings and the development of a joint Border Infrastructure Investment Plan.

In Spring 2013, the Government of Canada announced up to $127 million in funding to expand and modernize facilities at the ports of entry in Lacolle, QC; Lansdowne, ON; Emerson, MB; and North Portal, SK. These were identified as initial priority border crossings in the first ever bi-national Border Infrastructure Investment Plan and these improvements will increase capacity for commercial traffic, reduce wait-times and strengthen border security.

At the Lacolle port of entry (POE), a new commercial processing facility opened in 2016-17 and construction will start on a new traveller processing building in the summer of 2018 and is projected be completed by the summer 2020. Upgrades and improvements to the Lansdowne, Emerson, and North Portal POEs are underway and are expected to be completed in 2017-18.

The commitment to fund the priority POEs under the BTB Action Plan was fully met, noting that Peace Bridge, ON, was able to fully self-fund as the operator did not seek funding from the Government of Canada. Modernization of major border crossings is expected to provide the following long-term economic benefits: reduced wait times, increased reliability of just-in-time shipments, decreased fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions due to reduced engine idling at the border, and increased safety and security.

The second key element of the border infrastructure initiative involved enhancing our capacity to coordinate border infrastructure investments at the binational level. This was to be achieved through the establishment of a binational five-year Border Infrastructure Investment Plan (BIIP) that was to be renewed annually. Over the five year period, three versions of the BIIP were produced. The initial version focused on seven initial priority POEs identified in the Action Plan. The second and third versions were expanded to include detailed reporting on the current infrastructure and the new and planned investments at the 25 busiest land border POEs. The Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA’s) small and remote POE strategy and basic information on the remaining land POEs were also taken into account.^Footnote38 

While the Action Plan called for an annual BIIP, the challenge of conducting research, compiling information, developing the report and obtaining approval from the four departments/agencies and two governments meant that the report could not be produced on a yearly basis.  

The process required an approximate timeline of 18 months from start to publication, which lessened the value of the report. Given this, the United States (U.S.) is now focusing on an on-line platform that will capture and report on infrastructure investment at the POEs in a more timely fashion, which Canada supports. Canada will continue to work with the U.S. directly and through the Canada- U.S. Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG) to collect and disseminate information.

The TBWG holds plenary meetings biannually and is scheduled to meet next in the fall of 2017, in Calgary. All information from the plenary sessions will be posted on the publicly available TBWG website.^Footnote39

The Government of Canada has met its commitment on funding priority infrastructure under initiative 20, and collaboration with the U.S will continue to enhance our capacity to coordinate border infrastructure investments at the binational level.

Initiative 21 (Coordinating Investments at Small and Remote Ports of Entry):
In 2013, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) received $16.1M over four years to pilot a technology-based remote traveller processing (RTP) concept. The CBSA committed to develop and pilot RTP at two small ports of entry (POE) for a period of one year, as well as further developing recommendations for enhancing border services at Canada’s small and remote POEs. The two POEs selected for the pilot were located at Piney, MB and Morses Line, QC. Challenges ensued with respect to the development and delivery of the RTP pilot at Morses Line, QC, thus delaying implementation. The Piney location, which is situated in a remote area experiencing long and severe winters that limited the construction season, resulted ultimately in the cancellation of the pilot at this POE. The CBSA explored and confirmed its ability to achieve outcomes and benefits with only one pilot at Morses Line.

The CBSA remote traveller processing (RTP) pilot at Morses Line, Quebec, POE was implemented in January 2016. This permitted travellers arriving at the POE after staffed hours of service to be processed by a Border Services Officer (BSO) located at an off-site remote monitoring centre. The RTP pilot was the first time that a formal design thinking and rapid prototyping approach was used within the CBSA.

The CBSA committed to and conducted this pilot as a means to assess the feasibility of using technology-only solutions to enhance services at small and remote POEs (increased access to the border), while ensuring border integrity. While the BTB commitment has been met for this initiative, the Remote Traveller Processing (RTP) solution at Morses Line will continue operating beyond 2016-17, until the way forward with RTP is determined based on the finalized assessment and recommendations.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 21 and will continue the work on assessing options for exploiting the proven concept.

Initiative 22 (Deploying Border Wait-Time Technology and Establishing Wait-Time Service Levels):
Under the Beyond the Border (BTB) Action Plan, Canada and the United States (U.S.) committed to work with stakeholders to install border wait time technology at the top 20 land border crossings to reliably measure wait times, monitor operational performance relative to published service standards, and position drivers to make informed travel decisions. Border wait time (BWT) technology has been installed at seven of the top 20 crossings: four between British Columbia and Washington State (Pacific Highway, Peace Arch, Huntingdon/Sumas, Aldergrove/Lynden), two between Ontario and New York State (Peace Bridge, Queenston-Lewiston), and one between Ontario and Michigan (Blue Water Bridge).

In 2013, dedicated funding within the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund (GBCF) was identified in Canada for the deployment of BWT measurement technology for the remaining 13 high-priority border crossings. Transport Canada (TC) continued to engage in discussions with provinces, other border stakeholders and owners of border infrastructure at the remaining high-priority crossings. However, there were challenges in moving forward with remaining installations, mostly related to the availability of funding in the U.S. and the readiness of sites, stakeholders and infrastructure owners in Canada. As a result, TC did not receive any applications for funding of BWT technology under this dedicated funding envelope. As such, the dedicated GBCF funding was re-allocated to other priority areas for re-investment.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)/Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched an application process for a pilot initiative that would accelerate the adoption of innovative technology to measure delays and border wait times at the land border ports of entry identified in the BTB Action Plan. Following this application process, in June 2016, the U.S. DOT/FHWA announced funding for three successful applications. Work is underway on these projects. In parallel, work is underway by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on its data-driven pilot project approach as a potential border wait-time measurement solution. Transport Canada is awaiting the results of this work as a potential border wait-time measurement solution.

In November 2016, Canada's Office of the Auditor General (OAG) released its audit report on the BTB Action Plan, including the BWT Initiative. The report recommended that the Government of Canada should assess the benefits of the existing BWT technology investments, including developing performance indicators to measure benefits of completed and on-going border technology installations. As a result, TC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are working together to address those recommendations. In light of the audit report, the approach to border wait time measurement going forward is being examined by Canada and will also be informed by the above-noted U.S. pilot projects and initiatives currently underway.

In addition, in the summer of 2017, TC will be launching the National Trade Corridors Fund, and the first call for proposals is underway with project selection slated to take place in the first quarter of 2018. Technology projects with a focus on the management of traffic related to the movement of goods and people are eligible under this program.

The Government of Canada continues to explore opportunities with provinces and other border stakeholders as well as the U.S. with respect to the installation of future BWT technology in order to ensure a coordinated approach. Deployment of BWT technology may continue after the BTB initiative has been closed, contingent on funding and the readiness of sites. Ultimately, final decisions to invest in BWT technology rest with the owner of the border infrastructure, and while Canada has met its commitment to work with stakeholders and provide funding for the installation of BWT technology, uptake and installation of this technology in a landscape of rapidly changing and evolving technologies has not advanced as quickly as planned.

The Government of Canada has met its commitment under initiative 22. Collaboration with the U.S. and other stakeholders will continue in this area.

Initiative 23 (Installing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology):
Canada committed to the installation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in two conventional passenger lanes at 11 ports of entry (total of 22 lanes) to align with existing U.S. investments and to expedite traveller processing and contribute to reducing border wait times.

During 2015-16, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) awarded the procurement contract for the purchase and installation of the RFID readers. With the contract in place, system changes to integrate the RFID hardware were completed and preparation began for the construction required for infrastructure upgrades to prepare lanes for the installation of RFID technology. In addition, existing Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with provinces were amended to allow the CBSA to access the Enhanced Driver’s License database.

The work on this initiative was furthered in 2016-17 with the commencement of work on the installation of the RFID readers in two lanes at 11 sites, delivering on the Government of Canada’s original commitment.

Several of the approved dates for RFID project deliverables have been pushed back due to delays with procurement, U.S. negotiations, and systems changes. The CBSA will be able to demonstrate the benefits of RFID and report against the performance indicators after the RFID readers have been deployed to all identified sites, and the information technology upgrades are in place in the Agency’s primary processing system to read RFID-enabled documents. This is expected to begin in Q4 2018 and results will continue to be monitored and tracked through CBSA’s Benefits Realization Plan and Performance Measurement Strategy as well as the Agency Performance Summary.

The project will undertake closure activities in 2018-19.

The Government of Canada has not met its commitments under Initiative 23.

Initiative 24 (Organizing Bi-National Port Operations Committees):
As committed to in the Beyond the Border Action Plan, eight Bi-National Port Operations Committees (BPOCs) were established in early 2012 at each of the Canadian airports that provide U.S. preclearance, in addition to the 20 BPOCs established in 2011 at land border ports of entry. BPOCs were put into place to ensure cooperation and partnering to enhance collaboration on overall port management, coordinate emergency response and preparedness, integrate enforcement efforts, and to improve the efficiency of the mitigation strategies for border wait times.

These individual BPOCs completed their Action Plans by March 31, 2012 and report excellent communication and cooperation in all their joint engagements. Where partnerships are practical and permissible under current legislation, joint standard operating procedures have been written.

During 2015-16, the BPOCs continued their efforts in advancing work to support the joint initiatives and an exercise was undertaken between the Canada Border Services Agency and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify inefficiencies at the border while proposing solutions and recommendations on how these could be improved. Each of the 28 BPOCs will continue to meet at least four times per year while also implementing their individual action plans.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 24.

THEME 3 | Initiatives 25 and 26

Cross-Border Law Enforcement

Canada and the United States have developed successful models for preventing criminals from crossing the border to escape justice; the work under this theme deepens those efforts. By cooperating on investigations and prosecutions, both countries enjoy increased security. Further cooperation on national security and transnational criminal investigations, and the provision of interoperable radio capability to law enforcement actors builds on existing cooperative law enforcement programs.

Outcomes

Ultimate Outcome

Image Description

This image illustrates the outcomes of Theme 3 of the Beyond the Border Action Plan. This theme is called Cross-Border Law Enforcement. This figure demonstrates the linkages between the Intermediate Outcome and the Ultimate Outcome for Theme 3. The outcomes are also linked to specific Beyond the Border Action Plan initiatives.

The Ultimate Outcomes for Theme 3 is:

The Ultimate Outcome is Criminals are prevented from leveraging the Canada - United States border to commit transnational crimes (Initiatives 24-26).

Intermediate Outcomes

Image Description

The Intermediate Outcomes for Theme 3 is:

Canada and the United States cooperate on national security and transnational criminal investigations (Initiatives 24-26)

Canada and the United States cooperate on national security and transnational criminal investigations (Initiatives 25-26)

Initiative 25 (Pursuing National Security and Transnational Criminal Investigations – Shiprider/Next Generation):

Shiprider
Officially known as Integrated Cross-border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations (ICMLEO), Shiprider represents a cooperative approach to combating cross-border crime on Canada and the United States (U.S.) shared waterways. Canada-U.S. Shiprider removes the international maritime boundary as a barrier to law enforcement by enabling seamless continuity of enforcement and security operations across the border, facilitating cross-border surveillance and interdiction, and serving as both a force multiplier and, potentially, as a model for other potential U.S.-Canadian cross-border integrated enforcement and security initiatives.

In 2016-17, 18 additional Canadian law enforcement officers completed the training for Shiprider Operations and a fifth Shiprider team was deployed in the Victoria/Port Angeles area of operation. With the addition of the latest Team, Shiprider units logged over 2,500 patrol hours and boarded over 1,000 vessels during their operations. In addition to enforcing laws and regulations (including the Customs Act, Criminal Code, Canada Shipping Act, and Excise Act), Shiprider units completed 57 surge operations, made 25 arrests, and were able to assist with 30 Canadian-U.S. investigations.

Over the past five years, through Shiprider, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has met its commitment to cooperate with the U.S. on national security and transnational criminal investigations. The ongoing training and enhancements to Shiprider have contributed to the collective ability to identify, target, interdict, and investigate transnational crime/national security offences. Over 300 Canadian law enforcement officers and U.S. Coast Guard personnel have been cross-designated for Shiprider operations. The number of Shiprider teams has grown from two to five, which has increased the scope of the Canadian/U.S. maritime border that is covered by Shiprider operations, the number of vessels boarded, the number of surge operations, and subsequently, the number of arrests and seizures made by operational units. As the maritime environment continues to evolve, it is expected that in future years, Shiprider will continue to play an important role in preventing criminals from leveraging the Canada-U.S. border to commit transnational crime.

Shiprider is a program that will continue on after the BTB initiative has been closed, contingent on funding. At this point there are no plans to increase the number of teams in Canada. The performance of Shiprider will continue to be reported on through the RCMP’s internal Beyond the Border Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) and ongoing horizontal reporting commitments.

The Parties to the Shiprider Framework Agreement agreed to meet in order to review the Framework Agreement at the end of five years from the date of its entry into force (i.e., October 2012).^Footnote55 The five-year review is due and Canadian officials are preparing for that review.

Next Generation
The Beyond the Border (BTB) Action Plan also called for the implementation of “Next Generation” pilot projects to create integrated teams in areas such as intelligence and criminal investigations, drawing on the Shiprider model and other successful cooperative approaches. This initiative has been suspended because the legislative framework in both Canada and the U.S. inhibits the implementation as envisioned. However, Canada and the U.S. continue to examine cross-border law enforcement cooperation through working groups, high-level fora, and regular dialogue.

The Government of Canada has not fully met its commitments under initiative 25. The Governments of Canada and the United States will continue to work to implement the commitment with regard to creating “Next Generation” land-based pilot projects under Initiative 25.

Initiative 26 (Radio Interoperability):
The BTB Action Plan committed Canada and the United States (U.S.) to implement a binational radio interoperability system between border enforcement personnel. Over the past five years, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has met its commitment to provide radio interoperability for law enforcement. The RCMP was able to successfully connect two of seven identified divisional locations. Since the initial connections occurred, many steps have been taken to connect additional locations. Standard Operating Procedures have been developed, additional Canadian and U.S. employees have been trained on radio interoperability, and 75% of all interoperability connection tests done annually (since 2015-16) demonstrated reliable and secure access to RCMP members. The advancement of radio interoperability will continue to be reported on through the RCMP’s internal Beyond the Border Performance Measurement Framework and ongoing horizontal reporting commitments.

In 2016-17, the RCMP continued to contribute to the ability for law enforcement agencies to coordinate effective bi-national investigations by effectively maintaining the two established interconnected regions. Eight Canadian and four U.S. employees completed training on radio interoperability. While it was anticipated that in 2016-17 a third region would be connected, this did not occur due to factors outside of the Government of Canada’s control. While the U.S. was not ready to proceed with the interconnection this year, it is anticipated that a third region will be connected in 2017-18.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 26.

THEME 4 | Initiatives 27-32

Critical Infrastructure and Cyber Security

Canada and the United States (U.S.) are connected by critical infrastructure — from bridges and roads to energy infrastructure and cyberspace. Cyber security incidents often do not respect international borders, and thus require robust operational cooperation between countries. Therefore, enhancing the resiliency of our shared critical and cyber infrastructure is key to our mutual security.

To support this objective, the Beyond the Border (BTB) Action Plan committed to executing programs and developing joint products to enhance cross-border critical infrastructure protection and resilience, as well as expanding joint leadership on international cyber-security efforts. Domestically, protecting vital government and critical digital infrastructure of bi-national importance and making cyberspace safer for all our citizens enhances our resilience.

Beyond increasing our resiliency, the Action Plan addressed the need to be able to rapidly respond to, and recover from, disasters and emergencies on either side of the border. This includes mitigating the impacts of disruptions on communities and the economy by managing traffic at affected border crossings in the event of an emergency. Also important is our work to enhance our collective preparedness and response capacity for health security threats. As well, we are working together to establish bi-national plans and capabilities for emergency management, with a focus on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) events.

Ultimate Outcome

Image Description

This image illustrates the outcomes of Theme 4 of the Beyond the Border Action Plan. This theme is called Critical Infrastructure and Cyber Security. This figure demonstrates the linkages between the Intermediate

Outcomes and the Ultimate Outcome for Theme 4. The outcomes are also linked to specific Beyond the Border Action Plan initiatives.

The Ultimate Outcome for Theme 4 is:

Canada and the United States are prepared for and can respond to threats and emergencies (Initiatives 27-32)

Intermediate Outcomes

Image Description

The Intermediate Outcomes for Theme 4 are:

Canada and the United States share a common approach to protect Critical Infrastructure and Cyberspace (Initiatives 27-29).

Canada and the United States can rapidly respond to and recover from disasters and emergencies on either side of the border (Initiatives 30-32).

Canada and the United States share a common approach to protect Critical Infrastructure and Cyberspace (Initiatives 27-29)

Initiative 27 (Enhancing Cross-Border Critical Infrastructure and Resilience):
Since the launch of the BTB Action Plan, Public Safety Canada has collaborated with the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish two risk management programs: the Regional Resilience Assessment Program (RRAP) and the Virtual Risk Analysis Cell (VRAC).

With 2016-17 representing the final year of a five-year pilot, the RRAP reached its maximum capacity. Across all 10 provinces and sectors, 59 all hazards and 20 cyber assessments were completed. The 59 owners and operators that participated in the all hazards assessments received a total of 1,337 resilience enhancement options, ensuring they were aware of their facilities’ vulnerabilities, as well as actions they could take to enhance their resilience. Surveys carried out in October 2016 revealed that over 95% of participants were better informed about their vulnerabilities, and as a result could take action. Another client survey confirmed that 100% of assessed clients took action to mitigate identified vulnerabilities, and as such, invested over $7M in the last half of 2016-17 for that purpose. Finally, owners and operators indicated that they were prepared for and could respond to threats and emergencies by receiving scores either at the top and middle range respectively, of the Public Safety Canada target for the Critical Infrastructure Protective Measures Score and Resilience Measure Score.

During the reporting period, the VRAC continued to collaborate with its working-level counterparts in the United States, solidifying new plans and mechanisms to share information, best practices, as well as advance key cross-border projects. Bolstered by a shared commitment to energy infrastructure security and resilience outlined in the Joint Canada-U.S. Strategy for Electricity Grid Security and Resilience, both countries are exploring opportunities for a new cross-border VRAC project, focused on modelling the North American electricity grid. VRAC has also initiated discussions to share a Canadian model of best practices with the U.S. DHS, specifically with respect to the fuel distribution system. This will allow countries to explore opportunities to adopt a common approach to understand and protect energy infrastructure.

In February 2017, Canada and the U.S. showcased key initiatives they undertook in order to improve preparedness and response measures. During the meeting, Canada piloted the role of VRAC during events of national significance. VRAC’s engagement in national scale emergencies and events has ensured that issues and impacts related to critical infrastructure are taken into consideration during federal planning, response and recovery efforts. The VRAC has shared assessment products developed in response to major events that occurred in Canada and the U.S. These products provided useful information to DHS, as well as allowed VRAC to validate its assessment findings and consider lessons learned from its U.S. counterparts. Given the interconnected nature of Canadian and U.S. critical infrastructure, joint projects to understand and address issues of mutual interest will continue well beyond the BTB Action Plan.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 27.

Initiative 28 (Government and Digital Infrastructure):
The Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) and its United States (U.S.) counterparts, US-CERT and ICS-CERT, have made significant progress over the course of the BTB Action Plan to strengthen information sharing activities and cyber incident collaboration and coordination. The Cyber Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) in both nations have integrated operational level interaction to facilitate information exchange on cyber incidents and technical indicators of compromise. Substantial progress was made to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships through working groups such as: the International Watch and Warning Network, analytical exchanges such as CCIRC’s GeekWeek, the development and publishing of joint products, participation in a number of multi-lateral cyber exercises including the CyberStorm series, and other regular meetings.

This initiative advanced without facing any challenges or setbacks. Information sharing activities as well as cyber incident collaboration which were established under the Action Plan, will continue beyond the reporting period of the horizontal initiative.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 28.

Initiative 29 (Expanding Joint Leadership on International Cybersecurity Efforts):
Since the launch of the Action Plan, Public Safety Canada’s international outreach on cyber security reflected the objectives of maintaining an open, safe and trusted cyberspace — essential to Canada’s competitive advantage in the global marketplace. In 2012-13, Canada participated in a United Nations (UN) Group of Government Experts (GGE) comprised of 15 nations that drafted recommendations to the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) on promoting international peace and stability in cyberspace. This study was noteworthy as it was the first time a consensus was reached with respect to recognizing the applicability of international law to state behaviour in cyberspace.

In 2013-14, Canada participated in several international activities to advance joint leadership on international cyber security efforts. Canada strengthened its contribution within the Organization of American States (OAS) and increased outreach to the Western Hemisphere. Canada was an active participant at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Information Security, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop on Cyber Confidence Building Measures.

Canada continued to pursue objectives established under this initiative in 2014-15 bilaterally with the United States (U.S.). During the same period, Canada continued its contribution within the OAS and the Western Hemisphere, as well as in OECD Working Group on Information Security. In 2015-16, the Government of Canada met its commitments under the Action Plan by completing all the legislative changes necessary for Canada to ratify the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime^Footnote75.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 29.

Canada and the United States can rapidly respond to and recover from disasters and emergencies on either side of the border (Initiatives 30-32)

Initiative 30 (Mitigating the Impacts of Disruptions on Communities and the Economy):

Marine
Transport Canada (TC) leads the marine component of this initiative and has been working with its American counterpart (the United States Coast Guard) to develop a joint cross-border approach to expedite maritime commerce recovery after a major disruption in three regions: Pacific; Great Lakes and Atlantic.

To support this work, bi-national stakeholder consultation sessions were undertaken in the Pacific Region on April 5, 2012 (Vancouver); May 14, 2012 (Vancouver); and July 10, 2012 (Seattle). A table top exercise was held in Everett, Washington, on October 2, 2012.

In the Great Lakes Region, bi-national stakeholder consultation sessions were undertaken on January 17, 2014 (via webinar); May 22, 2014 (Montreal); July 17, 2014 (Hamilton); and August 20, 2014 (Detroit). A tabletop exercise was held in Chicago on December 11, 2014.

In the Atlantic Region, bi-national stakeholder consultation sessions were undertaken on March 9, 2015 (via webinar); June 18, 2015 (Halifax); and July 23, 2015 (Boston). A tabletop exercise was held in Portland, Maine, in November 2015.

Each tabletop exercise in the different regions was held in order to validate planning guides, communications and information-sharing protocols developed as a result of this work.

The information sharing protocols produced as part of this large consultation process enable better and faster communication between partners, which will lead to quicker response times and faster recovery from disasters and emergencies on either side of the border.

With the successful completion of all milestones identified under the Beyond the Border Action Plan the Government of Canada has met its commitments under the marine component of this initiative.

Land
Public Safety Canada (PS) leads the land component of this initiative and has been working with provincial governments and other partners on creating border traffic management plans for traffic moving to and away from the border.

In July 2016, PS signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to support the development of cross border transportation management plans and exercises for Ontario’s Blue Water Bridge and Ambassador Bridge border crossings, as well as surrounding roadway/highway systems.

As per the terms of this MOA, the MTO developed the Border Incident Management Framework for Ontario, and two site-specific plans for the Ambassador and Blue Water Bridge crossings. In addition, a table top exercise was conducted, which was held in Wyoming, Ontario in February 2017. This initiative was finalized in 2016-17, and the final report was published on March 31, 2017. The MOA helped define the common understanding of local and regional levels of operation, coordination, and response tasks. Also, the existing protocols around incident command strategy, transfer of command, and demobilization – which are now referenced in the context of the Framework were operationalized, and are better understood among the stakeholders.

This initiative supports a unified and cohesive response to mitigate the impacts of disruptions on Canadians, the Canadian economy, and local communities.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 30.

Initiative 31 (Enhancing Preparedness for Health Security Threats):
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has coordinated BTB health security for the Government of Canada since 2014-15, when the role transitioned from Public Safety Canada. The mandate of the Health Security Working Group (HSWG) was to enhance collective preparedness and response capacity for health security threats for Canada and the United States (U.S.).

In 2015-16, the HSWG focused its efforts on improving preparedness related to bi-lateral deployment of public health, medical and other response personnel. A joint exercise resulted in the identification of issues and challenges for the deployment of public health and medical resources during a public health emergency. Initiatives supporting improved ability to respond to an emergency included development of processes supporting cross-border assistance for patient movement.

In 2016-17, the HSWG continued to advance health security response and preparedness measures. The work focussed on supportive processes for patient movement and the exchange of health care personnel. In addition, training modules for veterinary response were completed and the HSWG established access to a repository and secure communications tool to support sharing of resources and best practices in emergency preparedness.

In 2016-17, work also continued on the sharing of biosafety and biosecurity information and best practices. Specifically, the U.S. National Institutes of Health have collaborated with their corresponding authority at PHAC on the development of each country’s pathogen safety data sheets. Consensus has also been reached regarding strategies on polio eradication under World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan III. Finally, a peer review on the implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention was conducted in both countries. This common experience will facilitate ease of cooperation in the future, supporting the stated outcomes of this Initiative.

Relationships between Canadian and U.S. counterparts have been enhanced through collaboration on the BTB Action Plan. It enabled partners to prepare and respond to threats and emergencies through communication, the sharing information and resources, as well as participation in joint exercises.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 31.

Initiative 32 (Emergency Management - Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE), and Interoperability):
The BTB Action Plan established two working groups under Initiative 32 to jointly improve the ability of Canada and the United States (U.S.) to prepare for and respond to bi-national disasters: the Canada-U.S. Working Group and the Canada-U.S. Communications Interoperability Working Group (CANUS CIWG).

In 2015-16, the Canada-U.S. Communications Interoperability Working Group (CANUS CIWG) continued engagement of Federal, State, Provincial, Territorial and local public safety first responders along the border. This engagement was to address cross-border interoperability challenges (such as portable radio usage cross-border). It also supported the development and implementation of CAUSE IV, which focused on a hazardous material (HAZMAT) incident in the Ontario-Michigan border region. In addition, it enabled Canadian and U.S. first responders and emergency management personnel to test next-generation emergency communications approaches for cross border paramedic and emergency medical services workflows. CANUS CIWG launched a webinar series in June 2015 to bolster cross-border partnerships and information sharing.

In November 2016, the Canada-U.S. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) Working Group completed the final draft of the CBRNE mutual assistance concept of operations and successfully tested the concept of operations through a tabletop exercise. Final revisions of the concept of operations was completed in early December 2016 and approved by the Emergency Management Consultative Working Group in January 2017. Beyond testing the concept of operations in future exercises and events, this portion of the BTB Action Plan commitment was completed and will not proceed beyond the reporting period of the horizontal initiative. Canada will continue its efforts on CBRNE emergency management through its regular relationship with the U.S.

In 2016-17, CANUS CIWG collaborated with the authority of the Emergency Management Consultative Group in order to sustain and continue the work of improving cross-border communications interoperability. These groups facilitated the collaboration on Canadian and U.S. progress with respect to the Next Generation 9-1-1 and the Public Safety Broadband Network. They also supported the development of CAUSE V, to take place in November 2017. CAUSE V focuses on enhanced interoperable communications, mutual aid planning and response technologies to better plan for and respond to incidents affecting the British Columbia-Washington border region. The Emergency Management Consultative Group will continue to meet.

Since its inception, the Canada-United States Communications Interoperability Working Group (CANUS CIWG) has fulfilled its primary purpose: the enhancement of communications interoperability along and across the Canada-United States border through regular bilateral discussion and working sessions. The CANUS CIWG has enabled progress and contributed to a shared vision of how to improve cross-border security, communications interoperability, public safety, and emergency response. CANUS CIWG brings together the varied interests of multiple stakeholders in Canada and the U.S. at all levels of government to foster collaboration and to ensure that emergency communications priorities and risks are addressed by the entire community.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 32.

Initiatives 33 and 34

Managing our New Long-Term Partnership

The Action Plan provided for oversight and governance mechanisms to support and guide successful implementation of the Action Plan and to enhance the long-term partnership on issues between Canada and the U.S. Recognizing that the sharing of personal information underpins a number of key BTB initiatives, and acknowledging the importance of treating this information appropriately, the Action Plan also called for the creation of principles to inform the treatment of such information.

Governance to oversee successful implementation and to maintain transparency and accountability

Initiative 33 (BTB Governance and Oversight):
In 2012, the Border Implementation Team at the Privy Council Office (PCO) was established to provide governance and oversight of the Beyond the Border file. In support of its role, PCO convened regular meetings with implicated departments and agencies at the working, Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister levels, in order to monitor overall progress and to advance specific issues. PCO also supported Cabinet and the Prime Minister in policy-making by providing oversight and guidance to Cabinet-related initiatives aligned to BTB initiatives. PCO was Canada’s lead for the binational BTB Executive Steering Committee which met annually from 2012 to 2016, and for the preparation of the annual joint BTB Implementation Report

In 2016-17, PCO convened regular meetings with implicated departments and agencies in order to monitor overall progress and to advance specific issues; hosted the fifth Executive Steering Committee meeting; and in collaboration with the United States, finalised and released the fourth joint Beyond the Border Implementation Report to Leaders. In 2016-17, PCO’s Border Implementation Team wound down its governance and oversight responsibilities.

Public Safety Canada led the preparation of an annual horizontal initiative report. This Horizontal Initiative Report provides a whole-of-government perspective on the implementation of the BTB Action Plan, serves as a close-out report, and addresses recommendations from the Auditor General’s report of the BTB Action Plan. The Report now contains stronger, clearer, and more measurable performance indicators as well as a more comprehensive narrative text to communicate results to Canadians. In addition, the report includes a complete picture of planned and actual financial spending — for each organization — over the entire five-year duration of the Action Plan.

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 33.

Privacy principles to inform and guide information and intelligence-sharing under the BTB Action Plan

Initiative 34 (Developing a Statement of Privacy Principles and Practices):
Responsible sharing of personal information between Canada and the United-States (U.S.), in accordance with the domestic laws of both countries, is a cornerstone of the BTB Action Plan. In this spirit, the Canada-U.S. Joint Statement of Privacy Principles^Footnote76was released in June 2012. The 12 principles cover the provision, receipt, and use of personal information exchanged by Canada and the U.S. pursuant to any information-sharing arrangements and initiatives under the Action Plan, are consistent with domestic privacy laws in both countries, and were inspired in part by international standards and guidelines on privacy (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), European Union (EU), U.S.).

To date, the principles have been applied to a number of arrangements, including Phase I and Phase II of Entry/Exit, the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America for the Sharing of Visa and Immigration Information and the Implementing Arrangements negotiated thereunder, and the Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations Framework (Shiprider). In addition, tools were created to assist lead departments in determining whether and how to apply the Principles in cross-border information sharing arrangements under the Action Plan.

The Privacy Principles will continue to be applied to remaining initiatives that include the cross-border sharing of personal information (e.g. the final phase of Entry/Exit).

The Government of Canada has met its commitments under Initiative 34.

Appendix A

Note: Shared Services Canada is a key partner to both lead and contributing departments/agencies in supporting Beyond the Border Information Technology infrastructure requirements.

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Date modified:

2022-07-21