WASHINGTON, D.C. – A coalition of 27 groups representing businesses and communities in the U.S. and Canada today issued a joint statement calling for a unified approach to managing the Covid-19 crisis and re-opening the economy.

The groups were led by the Canadian American Business Council (CABC), which also unveiled a new advocacy portal to allow other businesses and organizations to join the movement.

“The Covid-19 public health and economic crisis has been devastating for workers, families, and businesses across Canada and America. As both countries work to keep citizens safe and help businesses and workers get back on their feet, it is clearer than ever that a unified manufacturing supply chain between Canada, and the United States must be protected and strengthened,” the group announced.

“While cross-border cooperation has long been a key component of both countries’ economic prosperity, this crisis has highlighted the critical need to maintain the fluid border that is essential to many critical sectors that cross-national boundaries. In addition, the urgent need for critical medical supplies to move seamlessly across our borders to get to where they are needed most has exposed key vulnerabilities in our manufacturing ecosystem that must be addressed.”

It calls for a “common cross-border manufacturing response” to the crisis, to achieve: securing PPE in both countries; designing Canada-US manufacturing solutions to replenish and maintain strategic stockpiles of medical equipment; continuing to ensure people and goods cross the border efficiently without interrupting supply chains; and expanding market opportunities between the two countries to spur the recovery and better compete globally.

“Maintaining an open and efficient supply chain through and beyond Covid-19 will save lives and help us in the fight against this pandemic. It will provide the infrastructure required for jumpstarting the economy to compete with other regions of the world in a rapidly-changing global economic environment,” the CABC said in a release.

Women in Trucking was a part of the 27-member initiative.

“The challenges our drivers are facing today are extreme, while the need for transportation in North America increases,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women in Trucking. “The need for a comprehensive plan for cross-border transit has never been greater to ensure our drivers’ safety as well as their productivity. The Women in Trucking Association supports the need to reduce unnecessary delays, especially those imposed by our respective governments and supports a collaborative effort between our countries.”