K

en Oplinger is hoping Congress will consider amendments to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that will allow for free flow of U.S.-Canada trade while simultaneously tightening security at the 89 ports of entry between the two countries.
   Oplinger, president and CEO of the Bellingham Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Washington state, is also co-chairman of

Ken Oplinger

Business for Economic Security, Tourism and Trade (BESTT), an international coalition of businesses and trade associations in the U.S. and Canada formed to voice concerns about the WHTI. About 100 entities from 10 states and five provinces comprise BESTT's membership.
   "Our goal is to find ways to address the initiative and to meet security concerns and at the same time allow for free trade across the border," says Oplinger. "We're proposing what we think is the optimum solution and that's using the Real ID driver's license."
   The WHTI, which would require U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to present a passport or other verifiable and secure document to enter or re-enter the U.S., is currently slated for full implementation by January 2008. Oplinger says the Real ID Act, which became law in 2005 and requires a new standard in driver's licenses, is a better alternative. The concept is gaining some traction, but timing is becoming a factor, he says.
   "If you have a more secure driver's license, we think you have then met the requirements for a passport," Oplinger says. "We have moved the ball from being laughed at to actually having DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] studying it as a long-term solution. The State Department is still not on board and we're working with them to achieve some kind of common ground."
   The DHS and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are currently considering a PASS card identity document, costing $55, which would allow U.S. citizens to travel between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico.
   Oplinger says industrial operations along the border relying on just-in-time delivery of parts and supplies from companies across the border, particularly in the automotive sector, could be hurt the most.
   "Auto parts is the big one. There could be a number of industries that will keep future investments in one country or another," he says.
   Michigan is among the states that could be particularly hard hit. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is among public officials expressing concerns to the U.S. Office of Management & Budget regarding the potential impact.
   "As Michigan strives to move its economy to the next level and create 21st century jobs, our economic ties with Canada should not be weakened by this regulatory action," she wrote the OMB in March.
   The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has urged Congress to consider the impact WHTI could have on cross-border business travel, particularly for small companies and firms involved in just-in-time inventory and production systems.
   More than 29 million people move across the U.S.-Canada border each year, supporting more than $1.2 billion in daily trade. However, only about 20 percent of U.S. citizens hold passports, which currently cost nearly $100 to obtain.

This Canada-U.S.-Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation Partnership map shows the area currently being considered for a new Detroit River crossing.

   Federal, state and provincial governments are still moving forward with a long-range transportation strategy aimed at mitigating congestion at the Detroit-Windsor crossings.
   The Ambassador Bridge between the two cities is the conduit for more than 40 percent of the truck traffic between Ontario and the U.S. Government officials say continued high growth in the region will exceed capacity of the current border crossings in the Detroit River area by 2015. Cross-border truck traffic is projected to increase by 128 percent over the next 30 years.
   Three potential new river crossings are under study and are being evaluated for potential transportation benefits and environmental impacts. A projected schedule calls for selection of a final route by the second quarter of 2007.