CTA issues joint statement on Canada-US relations

by Truck News

TORONTO, Ont. – As US President Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meet in Washington today, the Canadian Trucking Alliance joined a group of close to 40 leading Canada-US business associations, companies, and policy experts in issuing a joint statement.

The statement – dubbed the Columbus Statement on U.S.-Canadian Relations – arose out of a June 2016 meeting on the campus of Ohio State University to discuss the future of Canada-US relations throughout the tenure of the incoming US administration. It calls for the respective leaders to address innovation; expanded labor mobility; regulatory alignment; border security; trade and travel facilitation and cooperation; enhancing the role of states, provinces, and municipalities; and addressing Canada-US in the global context. The principal author of the statement was Dr. Christopher Sands of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. 

“It is noteworthy the statement of principles emanated out of the United States and its signatories are from across both Canada and the US,” said David Bradley, CTA’s CEO. “Trucks haul two-thirds by value of Canada-US trade; so, anything that might disrupt that trade – whether it’s about scrapping NAFTA, a border tax, or further layers of border security – is of real concern to us.

“Moreover, anything that thickens the border and makes supply chains less reliable and predictable would have a profound impact on the competitiveness of both countries.”

 Bradley says a truck crosses the Canada-US border about once every two and half seconds. He adds that more than 40%of the trade between Canada and the US is intra-corporate.

 “Simply put, Canada and the US build things together,” he said. “A piston, for example, can cross the border seven or eight times during the manufacturing process. Our economies are that integrated.

“Canada-US trade is balanced,” he continued. “It’s based on mutual competencies and rules-based on trade – not cheap labor or advantages conveyed by shirking safety and environmental considerations.”

 The full Columbus Statement on US-Canadian Relations is available here.


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