TORONTO — U.S. purchasing managers are not concerned about the impacts of a thickening Canada-U.S. border. They’re leaving those worries to their Canadian suppliers.

That’s just one of the preliminary findings of a study being conducted by professors Guy Gessner and Coral Snodgrass of Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.

"On issues like traffic delays, labor costs, and security issues, U.S. purchasing managers don’t seem to be too interested," Snodgrass told Canadian shippers at the annual SCL conference and Transpo trade show in Toronto. "Their view is those things are Canada’s problem. That stuff is supposed to show up on time. Get it there. That pretty much was their attitude."

Snodgrass, who is the director of the International Business Program and a professor in the department of management and marketing at Canisius College, said Canadian firms that want to sell their wares in the U.S. should not expect any special considerations due to border issues.

The report, entitled ‘The Impact of Heightened U.S. Border Security on Canada-U.S. Trade’ was commissioned by the Canadian Embassy in the U.S. to get at the thinking of people who buy and sell things across the border.

But it’s not all bad news, Snodgrass said.

"At the macro level there aren’t major changes in Canada-U.S. trade. It is still vibrant and there’s lots of stuff crossing the border. Those numbers are good," she said. "There is also great interest at U.S. firms to develop business opportunities with Canadian companies."

Security issues, however, have made crossing the border an increasing challenge in recent years, particularly for small- and medium-sized businesses.

"As far as Homeland Security is concerned, and as far as the U.S. government is concerned, security trumps trade," she said. "The thickening of the U.S.-Canadian border has been relatively relentless since 9-11 and I see no reason to suggest they’ll back off any time soon."

Just this week Canadian Trucking Alliance CEO David Bradley expressed concern in a speech to shippers that nearly a decade after Sept. 11, policy makers have done little to cut down on some of the redundant rules and regulations for cross-border transporters.

Snodgrass said getting feedback from American companies has proven easier than getting it from Canadian firms. A second phase of the study will concentrate on getting responses from Canadian players.