Canada's Performance on Implementation of Beyond the Border Initiatives

[On November 29], the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, released Canada's Beyond the Border horizontal performance report. This report, which is released on behalf of all participating departments and agencies, provides details on work carried out by Canada between December 7, 2011, and March 31, 2013, to implement the Beyond the Border Action Plan...

Some of the highlights in the horizontal report include:

• an Integrated Cargo Security Strategy (ICSS) and a series of related pilots to harmonize the approach to cargo screening - “screened once, accepted twice”;
• increasing NEXUS membership by 22.5 percent in 2012/13 over the previous year;
• installing additional NEXUS lanes at Pacific Highway, B.C.; Douglas, B.C.; Abbotsford, B.C.; Queenston, Ont.; Fort Erie, Ont.; and Sarnia, Ont.;
• concurrently with the United States, increasing the low-value shipment thresholds to $2,500, from the existing level of $1,600 in Canada and $2,000 in the United States to improve processing times and provide cost savings for the importing community;
• the first-ever bi-national Border Infrastructure Investment Plan (BIIP); and
• release of the Canada–U.S. Joint Statement of Privacy Principles in June 2012. Its 12 principles cover the provision, receipt, and use of personal information exchanged by Canada and the United States pursuant to any information-sharing arrangements and initiatives under the Action Plan. These principles are also consistent with domestic privacy laws in both countries...

The report is available at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/dprtmntl-prfrmnc-rprt-2012-13/btb-eng.aspx.