Officials meet to discuss 'Beyond the Border' plan

A high-level group of stakeholders and border officials met at Canada House at Western Washington University last week to discuss implementation of the "Beyond the Border" initiative.

The initiative, announced in 2011, articulates a shared approach to security in which both the United States and Canada work together to address threats within, at and away from the shared border while also expediting lawful trade and travel, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The July 25 roundtable at Western, organized by the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle and hosted by Western’s Center for Canadian-American Studies and Border Policy Research Institute, brought together representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canada Border Services Agency, the Consulate General of the United States in Vancouver and officials from the U.S. State and Homeland Security departments, as well as the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Business leaders from Washington state and British Columbia also participated, including Greg Boos of Cascadia Cross-Border Law in Bellingham; Hugh Conroy, director of the International Mobility and Trade Corridor project at the Whatcom Council of Governments; Greg Timm, general manager of Pacific Customs Brokers; and many more.

Business leaders offered their perspective on how streamlined regulations have been helpful for promoting commerce and security, and where further improvement is still needed.

Officials from border agencies in both the U.S. and Canada will use the feedback from the roundtable to help further the goals of expediting legitimate commerce while enhancing bi-national cooperation on security efforts. Ultimately, the goal is to build a smarter, more efficient border.