First, the government would like to express appreciation for the patience, co-operation and flexibility shown by producers, processors and distributors during this time of disruption following the terrorist attacks. Canada’s overreaching priority must be the safety and security of our borders and citizens. In view of the acts of terrorism, customs authorities in both Canada and the U.S. are more vigilant at ports of entry.
The government recognizes the importance of maintaining trade, while at the same time mitigating the risks related to the health and safety to the public. In the case of agricultural commodities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA, works with customs officials by inspecting products for health and safety requirements, which facilitates the movement of all commodities, especially perishable shipments and live animals.
During the early days following September 11, when large backlogs existed, initiatives such as expediting shipping lanes for the above commodities were employed. Through the dedicated work and co-operation of customs officials, CFIA and other departments, delays at the border have now been largely eliminated and presently we are not experiencing undue delays. CFIA continues to work closely with U.S. counterparts to focus resources on high risk products and carriers as a first priority.
The CFIA’s web page http://www.inspection.gc.ca/ links to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency’s web page, which provides an estimate of border delays to assist exporters in planning their shipments.