Prince Rupert to be home of Beyond the Border Pilot Project

A project designed to improve the speed and efficiency of shipping international goods, through Canadian ports to American markets, has had its debut in Prince Rupert.

"The Beyond the Border pilot will introduce efficiencies in cross-border cargo movements, further enhancing Canadian commerce with our largest trading partner, said Don Krusel, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. "And as the site of one of the two Canadian pilot projects, we anticipate building on the Port of Prince Rupert's reputation as a world-class trade gateway." -- Port of Prince Rupert CEO Don Krusel, outlining a new pilot project and its expectations for the Port of Prince Rupert

The initiative is part of the Beyond the Border  agreement signed on December 7, 2011 between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Steven Harper.

The project will feature Canadian Border Service Agency personnel inspecting cargo in Canada and then securing it with bolt seals for transit to market destinations around North America.

Incoming product will be assessed for risk by the Virginia based U. S. National Targeting Centre, which will identify those shipments at highest risk. CBSA personnell will then conduct examinations  for both security and contraband on behalf of the U. S. Customs and Border Protection Service. Information from Prince Rupert inspections will be shared in real time between the two Security services, making use of an electronic information system developed in the US.

That inspection process, culminating in the fixing of the bolt seals on the containers upon release of the shipment, will mean the product in transit will no longer require a secondary inspection at the US border. The result of which should be an even faster period of time of delivery than is already in effect between Prince Rupert and the US.

The details of the pilot project were outlined Sunday in a press release from the Canadian Border Services Agency. The pilot project in Prince Rupert will provide for an additional facet of the national Integrated Cargo Security Strategy.

The new process of shipment inspection out of Prince Rupert went into effect on October 1st and is a joint effort of both Canada and the United States, the cost of the pilot project is to be shared between both countries.


U. S. Politics Today-- Canada and the U. S. Announce Prosperity Enhancing Beyond the Border Project
Vancouver Province-- Pilot project aims to improve transport of goods from Prince Rupert to U. S.
Journal of Commerce-- US, Canada Launch Prince Rupert Pilot for Cross-Border Trade
Canadian Manufacturing-- Prince Rupert starts harmonized cargo screening
Government Security News-- Prince Rupert pilot program aimed at strengthening cargo security
Port Technology International -- Port of Prince Rupert pilots Canada-US cargo screening project