June 22, 2007

This article is excerpted from the 21 June 2007 edition of “The Journal of Commerce”.

Canadian truckers praised a move by the United States to postpone a rule requiring passports for crossborder travel between the two countries….

The U.S. departments of State and Homeland Security on Wednesday postponed until at least the summer of 2008 a rule requiring travelers to show a passport or other secure documents for entry of Canadians or Americans into the United States at border crossings and seaports. The rule was scheduled to take effect next January….

Motor carriers also praised Wednesday's announcement of the proposed Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative by the Bush administration accepting identification under the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program as a passport alternative.

FAST conducts background checks on drivers, shippers and carriers. The proposed border rules would also accept identification cards issued under the NEXUS program instead of a passport for travelers who frequently cross the border by car.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance, a federation of provincial trucking associations, said the proposed rule “contains some positive news, notably the acceptance of a truck driver FAST card” but “does not remove several key uncertainties surrounding WHTI,” notably, the deadline for implementation by Congress of final rules for border identification requirements.

Truckers had complained about the additional cost of a passport, and along with shippers feared that the WHTI program would create bottlenecks at border crossings.