Border Trade Alliance

POLICY AGENDA

www.thebta.org @borderalliance TN visa class, an increase in de minimis levels, and BTA SECURITY AND other important provisions that will allow for market access for manufacturers, and increased choice, TRADE COMMITTEE variety and price competition for consumers. Kathy Neal, Chair The BTA encourages CBP to provide regular outreach and communication to the trade Regal Beloit community during the implementation phase of El Paso, Texas USMCA to ensure that there are no disruptions in trade activity. The BTA looks forward to providing a facilitative role for such discussions between the trade community and agency. Jim Smith, Vice chair DEAR FRIENDS, Ensuring ports of entry are properly AO Smith, Corp. resourced to process trade and travel without The Border Trade Alliance throughout 2019 Ashland, Tennessee interruption was a leading vocal advocate in the trade The BTA throughout its history has argued that community in support of the ratification of the devoting governmental resources to facilitating United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or trade – human resources, technology, and USMCA. No other organization was able to infrastructure – also enhances national security. provide lawmakers and administration officials Committee Scope with insight into the opportunities derived The Security and Trade Committee oversees More resources devoted to facilitating trade means from expanded cross-border trade in North policies and procedures at the land border ports more resources devoted to the interdiction of America like our broad network of public and of entry, promoting policies that encourage and contraband and the prevention of smuggling and private sector stakeholders. foster legitimate trade and travel while ensuring unlawful entries. We welcomed 2020 by marking the that border agencies – specifically Customs and To that end, the BTA strongly urges the culmination of our successful efforts to see Border Protection – have the tools necessary to Department of Homeland Security to prepare ports Congress pass the USMCA and attended the carry out their important enforcement mission. of entry for sporadic but dramatic increases in signing ceremony at the White House, where The Committee also interacts with other North migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. This includes: a cross-section of local, state, and federal American customs agencies, the Canadian Border elected officials and the business community Services Agency and Mexican Aduanas. • Taking all practicable steps to ensure that CBP leaders came together to celebrate the Officers are not redeployed away from ports modernized trade agreement for the 21st The committee has an Agribusiness of entry in order to support Border Patrol, century. Subcommittee, which monitors policy issues especially for administrative functions; The new USMCA includes a host of updated related specifically to the trade of produce and • Unless absolutely necessary, not using TDY provisions strongly supported by the BTA, livestock, including inspection procedures, assignments for CBP Officers to serve other including the facilitation of tariff-free digital staffing resources, and phytosanitary standards. agencies away from their regularly assigned trade, a new article benefitting small business, The subcommittee also monitors and makes ports of entry; and and environmental elements that enhance the recommendations on trade policies regarding • Acknowledging that there are critical functions quality of life in the border regions. Over the tariffs and seasonality proposals. long term, it will ensure that North America within government that should be performed remains a competitive market on the world by highly trained individuals and that diverting stage, keeping production on our continent 2020 Goals these individuals from their jobs hurts agencies’ rather than it seeing it move elsewhere in core missions. the world. Our organization this year looks Achieving economic growth and forward to moving into the implementation Such redeployments lead to increased delays in phase of the new agreement and to its security trade processing times, which increase costs that promise of increased economic dynamism Promoting commerce and economic growth create a drag on the overall economy. and prosperity. through the congressional passage of the Further, the BTA maintains its position that With the prospect of cross-border trade USMCA congressional appropriators should fund DHS volumes increasing under USMCA, the The BTA’s support for cross-border tariff-free and the agencies at U.S. ports of entry at levels work of the BTA becomes even more trade dates back to the organization’s vocal commensurate with current and projected trade essential. We remain North America’s advocacy for the North American Free Trade and travel volumes, especially in anticipation of leading voice for streamlined trade USMCA’s implementation. processes, improved agency staffing Agreement over 20 years ago. As a result of levels, and infrastructure that ensures NAFTA’s implementation, North America has Promoting a trade agenda that is not secure and efficient cargo processing at experienced unprecedented economic growth. calibrated around trade deficits the ports of entry. Over 38 million U.S. jobs depend on international trade, five million because of trade with Mexico The BTA believes that the importing component On behalf of the BTA’s Board of Directors, of trade is just as vital to the health of American we invite you to review our policy positions and nine million because of trade with Canada. manufacturing as exporting. Imports can included throughout this document. If your The North American manufacturing supply chain is company or community is not yet a member highly integrated, making North America one of the provide overall benefits for manufacturers of the BTA, we invite you to join us, as world’s most competitive regions. and the economy by providing necessary together we strive to make our borders better inputs to manufacturing processes to boost places to live, work, and invest. The BTA in 2018 was part of a broad coalition that competitiveness, including when imports represent successfully advocated for the preservation of a products not available or manufactured in the trilateral North American trade bloc that will help United States. ensure the region’s continued competitiveness for years to come, and in 2019 was a constant The trade deficit is a complicated measure that presence on Capitol Hill that successfully arises from several factors, including economic Paola Avila convinced lawmakers, on a bipartisan basis, conditions and standards of living, consumption to adopt the United States-Mexico-Canada and savings rates, exchange rates, domestic tax Chair Agreement, or USMCA. and regulatory policies, and to some extent by international trade openness and barriers. As we The BTA in 2020 looks forward to entering the seek congressional approval of the USMCA, the implementation phase of USMCA that will preserve BTA and U.S. manufacturers do not believe our a trilateral North American free-trade bloc. country’s negotiating position should be calibrated USMCA is an essential component of continued around concerns over trade deficits. Britton Clarke North American competitiveness because of its Congressional participation in and oversight of President enforcement provisions for intellectual property, recognition of digital trade, the maintenance of the tariff policy, including Sec. 232 tariffs The BTA believes that Congress should be treated especially those that need to ship quickly, such Strengthening trusted traveler programs as agriculture. as an equal partner with the executive branch The BTA will advocate for the continued growth in policy surrounding tariffs, especially in the • A single document or transmission that can be and expansion of trusted traveler programs such establishment of new tariffs. Congress should used by all three participating countries. as NEXUS, SENTRI and Viajero Confiable. exercise robust oversight in determining tariffs’ effect • CBP explore the establishment of account- on particular industries and the overall economy. Supporting policies that encourage tourism based processing that allows users to file The BTA also believes that invoking Section 232 consolidated updates on shipments. The BTA will advocate for policies that promote tourism’s importance to the US economy and of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 in order to Trade-friendly public-private partnerships impose tariffs for national security purposes should encourage the administration to resist policies be done so only in rare cases where the security The BTA has played a leading role in advancing the that diminish the U.S.’ standing as a desirable concern is apparent and clearly defined. concept of public-private partnerships between destination for leisure and business travel. the federal government and border stakeholders The BTA also believes that calculations of import to increase staffing resources and improve aging Reforming visa policy and export levels are oftentimes too simplistic, infrastructure. The BTA will continue to support A modernized trinational trade agreement should and fail to recognize a holistic picture of the the concept, as is encouraged by ongoing be forward thinking and allow for professionals entire North American marketplace. Therefore, reimbursable fee agreements along the border to to move back and forth across North American the BTA would urge the Commerce Department better align staffing levels with trade flows. borders with little bureaucratic delay. For example, and other federal trade data collectors to publish a skilled U.S. technician should be able to repair data regarding direct foreign investment (DFI) and Any reforms to existing P3 programs and/or and service sophisticated equipment in Canada or cross-border retail sales in addition to durable legislation must be trade friendly, however. The Mexico, which not only reflects today’s business goods and services trade figures. BTA’s support for the P3 concept is not intended to environment, but also ensures the highly skilled imply support for passing any increases in bridge position remains in the U.S. Such an approach Innovative trade processing tolls or other fees along to industry. More to the should apply to professionals involved in the solutions point, we believe free bridges should remain free. administration of the supply chain, as well, such as customs brokers and freight forwarders. Unified Cargo Processing Also, feepayers should have confidence that their payments to the federal government should go The committee supports the continued rollout of We also recommend using this period as an to specific trade facilitation purposes, not to the opportunity to negotiate with Mexico to allow Unified Cargo Processing (UCP) at ports of entry, general fund. which is a thoughtful use of limited inspection business visitors to enter Mexico without a visa resources designed to promote greater efficiency, The BTA supports reimbursable fee agreements and to remove the requirement for an FMM security and agency cooperation. The deployment where there are clear, measurable improvement permit, which is currently valid for only six months, of the Unified Cargo Processing model, whereby goals in staffing and infrastructure, and we does not permit multiple entries, and is required to U.S. customs personnel and their cross-border will assess each program during its operation visit manufacturing facilities in Mexico. counterparts conduct inspections side by side on accordingly and analyze federal government Finally, we support the TN Visa’s inclusion in the U.S. soil reduces the likelihood that a truck could spending at a particular port before and after the USMCA. be inspected on multiple occasions before its adoption of a reimbursable fee agreement. release into U.S. commerce, increases efficiency Improving trade efficiencies Strengthening Trusted Shipper of the primary inspection lanes, and reduces wait Programs: CTPAT, PIP and OEA times overall. Implement consistent metrics for border wait times Making trusted shipper programs more The BTA will monitor UCP for its affects—positive attractive to business or negative—on trade throughput, and will assess A consistent and standardized measurement The BTA applauds CBP for its development how the concept’s varying levels of implementation process for inbound and outbound wait times on of the revised Minimum Security Criteria, and at different ports affects trade efficiencies. both sides of the border is critical. Measurements should be compared to wait time goals and results we appreciate the agency’s transparency Technological pre-inspection should be made available to the trade community. in its ongoing development of trusted trade The BTA is encouraged by and supports the The committee believes that the trade community programs. As part of our desire to see continued pilot testing of a “technological pre-inspection” and government stakeholders should seek to improvement in the programs, and as an model at the Peace Bridge spanning Buffalo, New determine best practices in the collection of crowd- acknowledgement of the costs to business to York and Ft. Erie, Ontario, whereby technology sourced border wait time data and share those adopt the criteria, as well as the benefits to supply like license plate readers, VACIS machines, and practices with the trade communities of the U.S.- chain security, we recommend: under-vehicle inspection technology is relocated Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders. The BTA and this • Expanded hours of service where appropriate to the Canadian side of the border, while scanning committee believe that greater information between for trusted shipper traffic at ports of entry; imagery is transmitted to an analysis center in the governments will better inform decision-making, • Continued pursuit of additional benefits, such as U.S. Those findings aid U.S. CBP in determining including whether infrastructure improvements are automatic in-bond release and Tier 3 for cross- whether a conveyance can proceed through the needed to reduce overall wait times. border carriers; and primary inspection lane or whether it requires We also believe that assessing data by hourly secondary screening. • Continued work within CBP in the rollout of the output, booth output, and other infrastructure and Trusted Trader Program. Support continued development and refinement resource utilization metrics could provide more of North American Single Window objectives insight to inspection agencies than is currently Ensuring strong diplomatic ties The Committee strongly supports the North collected. Continued strong diplomatic ties between the American Single Window objectives for entry and Promoting Cross-Border Travel U.S. and its border neighbors exit from all three North American countries, which The BTA believes that the U.S. is extremely allows parties involved in trade and transport to Alleviating border delays for pedestrians, fortunate to count Mexico and Canada as lodge standardized information and documents private vehicles neighbors, allies, and leading trade partners. with a single entry point to fulfill all import, export, Many border communities depend on the ability Consistent with that view is BTA’s call for the and transit related-related regulatory requirements. of pedestrians and private vehicles (POVs) to maintenance of fully staffed and resourced U.S. easily cross from Mexico and Canada into the The Committee recognizes that all three North embassies and consulates in each country, U.S. to patronize local stores, restaurants and American countries are working together to extract which leads to increased communication with other attractions as an integral part of their city’s greater efficiencies in the import/export processes. foreign governments that, in turn, leads to greater economic health. As part of our commitment to As this cooperation continues, we recommend that: cooperation in supply chain security efforts, trade efficient yet secure cross-border travel, BTA will facilitation programs, and other shared concerns. • Inspection reports are made available and seek policy changes designed to alleviate delays in mutually recognizable; and POV and pedestrian lanes and prepare land border Further, the BTA supports regular cross-border • Post-departure filings remain an option, as ports to accommodate increased demand. communication and cooperation at a local level they are valuable for all sectors of industry, between both public and private sector stakeholders. the company to be accepted or denied by FDA AGRIBUSINESS Division of Import Operations. SUBCOMMITTEE Cross-border cooperation and Lance Jungmeyer, Chair harmonization Encourage the U.S. and Mexico to develop mutually Fresh Produce Association of beneficial relationships the Americas The Subcommittee supports efforts that would Nogales, Arizona allow agricultural agencies – SADER, SENASICA and USDA – to inspect goods in their home country, rather than the destination country agency 2020 Goals performing the inspection. Properly resourced ports of entry Harmonization of standards where Work with administration and congressional possible appropriators to ensure personnel levels at ports of entry are commensurate with trade volumes Trade partner should look for areas to align standards. Potential areas include pesticide TRANSPORTATION AND The Subcommittee believes strongly that for North residue standards, tariff codes, and paperwork. American agricultural trade to remain competitive INFRASTRUCTURE that the agencies charged with its inspection Work with BTA México in assessing non-tariff and processing must be properly resourced. barriers to trade The Subcommittee urges the administration and In order to ensure USMCA achieves its full COMMITTEE congressional appropriators to pay particular economic potential, the Subcommittee recommends Danny Rios, Chair attention to the following positions: working with BTA México to assess how the partner S&B Infrastructure CBP Agriculture Specialists countries are adhering to both the letter and spirit of the new agreement, ensuring that countries are not McAllen, Texas CBP’s workforce staffing report indicates that the engaged in non-tariff barriers to free trade. agency is nearly 700 positions short in this job function. The BTA strongly supports bipartisan Technology, policies and procedures legislation authorizing CBP to hire enough Specialists above attrition to meet the agency’s that facilitate trade, reduce delays Committee Scope workforce targets. Furthermore, the Subcommittee Seek funding for additional NII (Non-Intrusive The Transportation and Infrastructure believes that the Department of Homeland Security Inspection) equipment at the major produce- Committee is responsible for developing the should take all necessary steps to avoid the crossing land ports. BTA’s positions on issues regarding mobility, redeployments of CBP Officers away from ports Delays in inspections or delays waiting for space on trade-facilitating infrastructure, environmental of entry, which results in Agriculture Specialists refrigerated import inspection lots can cause loss of infrastructure such as wastewater treatment performing duties unrelated to their core mission. value, but more importantly opening and exposing and water delivery systems, cross-border energy transmissions and telecommunications, USDA Entomologists the load to non-refrigerated environments damages the integrity of the refrigerated supply chain and and cross-border trucking and rail policy. The Similar to the CBP, USDA APHIS PPQ personnel deteriorates the security and stability of the fresh Committee also assesses policies affecting the figures have not grown to keep pace with the produce. Furthering the use of NII technology will: presidential permitting process and promotes increasing $11.7 billion of fresh produce entering reduce wait times; prevent trucks from opening efforts to increase private sector and local the U.S. from Mexico. This creates both a risk cargo doors and breaking the cold chain; free up community participation in the development of to domestic agriculture as well as impedes the government agency personnel; and increase the border infrastructure. crossing activities for fresh produce loads that have to wait for the limited access to inspectors. For flow of goods and services across the border to the The Committee supports policies and funding example, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of benefit of all. The Subcommittee acknowledges levels that improve transportation efficiency Texas, nearly 200,000 loads of fresh produce were and appreciates ongoing federal government efforts and that are aimed at developing infrastructure crossed in 2018, yet only three entomologists were to invest in NII technology and will continue to that is reflective of today’s cross-border trade stationed in the area to review foreign pest threats. assess its impact on trade throughput. volumes. FDA Investigators Hours of service for trucking; ensure the The Committee also has a Seaports definition of truck source remains consistent. CBP refers all FDA-regulated products to the FDA Subcommittee that monitors and makes for review before clearing the product for entry into Seek ways to cross organic material (organic recommendations regarding seaport U.S. commerce in order to ensure the imported compost) between countries. infrastructure and policies. products meet domestic standards, so the agency maintains a critical role in facilitating food trade. Representation for agricultural trade 2020 Goals Furthermore, with the Foreign Supplier Verification needs in Congress Protocol now in effect, the U.S.’ major trading Supporting a long-term, pro-trade Border state representation on relevant committees partners (i.e. Mexico) require regular inspections transportation plan from FDA to remain in compliance with the Food The Subcommittee calls on House and Senate Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FDA, however, is leadership to ensure that border states, which play FAST Act reauthorization drastically understaffed in Mexico to be able to visit a central role in producing, growing, importing, The current transportation authorization bill, and certify all the growing and packing operations. and exporting, are represented on the relevant the FAST Act, expires on September 30, 2020. committees with responsibility over agricultural The BTA, under the auspices of this committee, The Subcommittee urges the Government trade-related issues. looks forward to working with Congress to Accountability Office to investigate on a port by port ensure that the next long-term transportation basis each port’s agency staffing levels in comparison Support for cross-border studies reauthorization facilitates trade-facilitating to the agricultural tonnage the port processes. The Subcommittee supports efforts to gather infrastructure investment in and around ports of Engage with BTA México to secure additional reliable data via studies like the ones conducted entry, contains strategies for promoting freight funding for SADER inspectors needed to provide by Texas A&M’s Center of North American Studies, mobility, delivers maximum flexibility for border phytosanitary certificates or field/packing house that examine the economic impacts of fresh state departments of transportation, and clearances for exporters. produce crossing between the USMCA partners, includes regulatory reforms that move projects Many U.S. importers have cited challenges with for the purpose of identifying areas of greatest from concept to completion more quickly. many of the smaller Mexican states having too few benefit or need to further expand fresh produce inspectors to certify necessary facilities, or to clear trade between the three countries. (continued on reverse) Improving border infrastructure, Furthermore, the Committee will work in tandem of containers that, with the proper broadband with its counterparts in BTA México to encourage technology, could be relayed to a remote especially in and around ports of the Mexican federal government to make the command center where personnel can recommend entry necessary fiscal allocations required to modernize further inspection. the border region sewage systems. Unleashing the power of the private sector and The technology available is so advanced as to border communities through public-private The development of new infrastructure allow the inspection of 100 percent of northbound partnerships financing options, such as increased and southbound trucks entering the United States The BTA will continue to work with Congress, capitalization for the North American with no loss in trade throughput. Customs and Border Protection and the General Development Bank Services Administration to ensure implementation The BTA supports the development of new A regulatory environment to of the Donation Acceptance Program, an methods for facilitating the long-term planning and encourage trade throughput and initiative to allow private sector dollars or financing of large infrastructure projects. Such new enhance border infrastructure available state, county or local dollars to be used methods could leverage public and private-sector to fund border infrastructure and land border dollars to help seed large projects, particularly Improving the permitting process port of entry projects or supplement federal those that span geographic regions. The Committee believes that the U.S. appropriations. Since the inception of the Donation administration’s efforts to reduce regulatory The BTA supports a General Capital Increase Acceptance Program, however, local dollars have burdens should extend to the Presidential (GCI) for the North American Development Bank, overwhelmingly originated from the public sector. Permitting process and the development of border the first in the institution’s nearly 25-year history. The BTA welcomes the opportunity to continue to infrastructure. devise strategies to incent greater private sector We support efforts to allow for the NADB to The BTA advocates intra-agency coordination participation. provide financing for projects related to natural gas, with an emphasis on cross-border energy between the U.S. Department of Transportation Nothing in BTA’s advocacy for public-private or distribution and consumption while ensuring the and the U.S. State Department to develop public-public partnerships is intended implicitly energy security of the United States and Mexico; actionable means of dealing with the unique or explicitly to call for: the establishment of tolls as well as the expansion or new construction of challenges of permitting and approving border- where they do not currently exist; the increasing international land border crossings to help facilitate oriented projects. Through its international of current tolls; or increased user fees imposed the lawful flow of goods and travel across the U.S.- outreach, BTA will also advocate inter- by the federal government. The organization’s Mexico border. governmental coordination between the United support of these agreements is predicated by States, Mexico and Canada necessary to The BTA supports the creation of a commission the belief that the trade-facilitating infrastructure improve trade flows between our nations, while or department within NADBANK to assess basic of our nation’s borders, including its land encouraging a robust private sector role in the infrastructure needs in and around ports, as well as ports, is the responsibility firstly of the federal development of ports of entry. The permitting public environmental health challenges in border government. These agreements are intended process should also indicate the justification for communities. Having welcoming borders provides to supplement the federal government’s role at the construction of new ports of entry, including social benefits for communities on both sides of our ports, not supplant it. BTA’s work in this area existing trade flows, congestion and other the border. is merely intended to give border communities economic reasons, and should ensure that existing more available options to partner with the federal ports of entry are being utilized to the optimal government to improve their port facilities. Enhancing technological degree. infrastructure Improving the Donation Acceptance Program Presidential permits should also be extended when Dramatically increasing broadband access at events warrant so as not to increase time and The current Donation Acceptance Program allows ports of entry local governments and private sector entities costs necessary to bring a project to completion. The BTA believes that land border ports of to donate capital improvements to the federal Finally, regulations should be eased in order entry are in need of greater access to internet government. However, a donation cannot occur to facilitate the exchange of tolls between broadband. Upgrading broadband availability will when the sponsoring entity still carries debt on the governments. project. lead to greater trade throughput by increasing the mobility of CBP officers around the port campus, The BTA encourages all departments involved in Amendments to the DAP are necessary to allow preventing them from being tied to inspection the permitting process to engage in transparent, a rental agreement between the General Services booths. Improved broadband will also allow CBP open dialogue with all affected stakeholders, Administration and CBP that would allow the to move to a command center model that allows especially on issues of rule changes, deadlines, or debt on capital improvements to be retired. The for remote inspection targeting, and increase the other issues that could disrupt project completion. Committee further recommends an increase in the likelihood that future agency resource decisions The importance of a multi-modal freight maximum total value of projects that are eligible for are based on reliable, fresh data. the program. strategy The Committee will investigate the extent to The BTA believes that a multi-modal approach Upgrading border region environmental which USDA Rural Development grants could be to freight transportation can help solve critical infrastructure employed to aid in the deployment of broadband international infrastructure congestion with faster The Committee believes that the quality of life to border communities and to the ports. project delivery and lower costs to both shippers in our border regions is enhanced when modern Shift to a command center model and governmental entities. BTA advocates that environmental infrastructure is available to facilitate no mode – trucking, rail, maritime or aviation – is Improved broadband infrastructure and access water delivery, treat wastewater, and improve air unfairly disadvantaged by border infrastructure, will allow the development of a command center quality. access, inspection levels, or allocation of CBP inspection model, whereby officers in off-site resources. The Committee is particularly concerned about the locations can remotely make determinations as spillage of sewage from Mexico into U.S. border to which conveyances require more thorough BTA recognizes freight rail has a critical role communities that has resulted in public health inspection, greatly diminishing the opportunity for in moving international goods to and from our concerns as well as disruptions to the local tourist corruption at the ports. borders. Freight rail can move a ton of freight 500 economy, port operations, and military readiness. miles on a single gallon of fuel. Each train removes Deploy leading-edge non-intrusive inspection The Committee supports bipartisan legislation that 300+ trucks from increasingly congested border equipment that can lead to 100 percent bridges and access highways. Rail points of entry would provide grant funding and the development inspections of a coordinated plan to update the region's are also efficient use of CBP resources used to infrastructure to prevent the continued flooding Inspection equipment currently on the market monitor goods crossing our international borders. represents a dramatic improvement over the of sewage, trash, and sediment into the Tijuana Further, the BTA believes the nation’s seaports scanning equipment that is available at most River Valley, New River, Imperial Valley, Ambos should be equipped to process increased trade ports of entry. The BTA supports the deployment Nogales, Naco, Los Dos Laredos, and other areas volumes, and fully supports efforts to maintain of this leading-edge inspection technology that where such sewage flows are unfortunate regular existing seaports at authorized drafts and to provides officers a clear picture of the contents occurrences. support funding of congressionally authorized deepening projects in order to accommodate larger and higher capacity vessels. The support for a multi-modal freight strategy also extends to airports, which the BTA believes are essential components of ensuring North American competitiveness and where the BTA supports the continued deployment of the Unified Cargo Processing model and efforts to increase cargo capacity. Ensuring safe cross-border transportation Consistently applied, border-wide safety PUBLIC POLICY Mexico border who arrive seeking asylum in the inspection regime U.S. Such surges are occurring with increasing regularity, and the federal government must be Cross-border trucking should be conducted in a COMMITTEE prepared with a practical and humane response safe environment. Shippers should choose ports that does not result in disruptions to lawful trade based on the efficient movement of freight; safety Sam F. Vale, Chair and travel. In 2018—the last year for which full- inspections should not be a determining factor in Starr-Camargo Bridge Co. year data is available—nearly 40,000 individuals which port a shipper chooses. Safety inspections were granted asylum, a 46 percent increase should be applied consistently from port to port Rio Grande City, Texas from the previous year, and in 2017 there were and not provide one port of entry a competitive over 30,000 asylum applications from Central advantage over another. American Northern Triangle countries alone, with The committee believes that state transportation a startling amount being from unaccompanied 1 and public safety departments should work Committee Scope minors. The Public Policy Committee Serves as the closely with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety The Committee and BTA acknowledge Customs main advocacy arm of the Border Trade Administration to ensure that trucks are not subject and Border Protection’s efforts and success in Alliance, representing the organization’s policy to duplicative safety inspections that lead to costly recruiting new applicants for its agency as it committees’ priority issue positions before shipping delays. attempts to meet its internal hiring goals. The lawmakers and agencies. organization will continue to advocate before Continuing safe and secure cross- Congress that CBP staffing levels must be border trucking under the USMCA 2020 Goals commensurate with trade volumes and the Consistent with the organization’s longstanding One border. One port. One process. challenges that come from migrant flows. historic support of reciprocal cross-border We encourage CBP, as part of its overall The Committee in 2020 seeks to coordinate trucking access, the BTA urges that continued recruitment efforts, to seek individuals who can the BTA’s agenda to focus on public policy safe and secure cross-border trucking access also fulfill roles within the agency that might that advances the belief that port of entry be implemented and enforced under a ratified be more administrative in nature and do not infrastructure, future planning, staffing levels, USMCA. necessarily require a highly trained CBP officer. and inspection procedures should be highly Such individuals will lessen the likelihood that integrated and harmonized among trading officers will be redeployed to act in support roles partners. to Border Patrol. SEAPORTS For example, the advent of and continued deployment of Unified Cargo Processing should Opposing technical, non-tariff SUBCOMMITTEE spur the design and development of joint port barriers to trade campuses among cross border trade partners; As the Committee and the BTA anticipate the full Eduardo A. Campirano, future workforce staffing models should implementation of the USMCA, we will remind anticipate reduced redundancies in northbound Chairman policymakers that all three partner countries and southbound inspections; non-intrusive should adopt policies that meet both the letter Port of Brownsville inspection technology can and should increase and the spirit of the new agreement. Brownsville, Texas the thoroughness of inspections, while also increasing trade throughput; and the USMCA To that end, we will focus on resisting efforts in members countries should continue to seek all three countries that attempt to circumvent ways to clear cargo closer to the point of origin. USMCA’s goals of tariff-free trade. This includes 2020 Goals advocating for greater congressional oversight Under NAFTA, 39 states already count Canada of tariff policy; opposing unilateral executive Increasing freight capacity at or Mexico as their number 1 trading partner, a branch efforts to establish new tariffs, including total that could rise post-USMCA, as could the seaports Section 232 tariffs; and ensuring that trade policy $1.3 trillion that accounts for total U.S. trade with Seaports are vital to North America’s economic is crafted to benefit all stakeholders, not just Mexico and Canada. The more harmonization health. In the U.S., cargo activity at seaports certain regional interests or select commodities. accounts for 26 percent of the economy and in infrastructure and processes, the more they are responsible for over 31 million jobs. competitive the region becomes and the more Technical barriers to trade result in new and jobs each country will grow and attract. higher costs that are passed on to the trade In order to ensure seaports are equipped to community and end consumers, undermine process increasing trade volumes, especially Anticipating the new normal North American competitiveness, tilt trade rules after the passage of USMCA, and to The Committee will carry the message before in favor of the few rather than the many, and accommodate larger ships, the Subcommittee policymakers that U.S. inspection agencies must create a drag on the national economies of all supports infrastructure improvements at be prepared for surges in migrants at the U.S.- three countries. seaports, including maintaining the authorized drafts and to support funding of congressionally ______authorized projects to deepen ship channels. 1 https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/images/OIS/2018/refugees_asylees_2018.pdf

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