TORONTO, ON – The Canadian Trucking Alliance released a joint statement this morning addressing principles on how the world’s biggest security, trade and cultural relationship should be managed — just as U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were meeting for the first time.

The Columbus Statement on U.S.-Canadian Relations, first developed in June 2016, calls for the leaders to address innovation, expanded labour mobility, regulatory alignment, border security, trade and travel facilitation and cooperation, and enhancing the role of states, provinces, and municipalities. It was authored by Christopher Sands of the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University in Washington.

“Trucks haul two-thirds by value of Canada-U.S. trade; anything that might disrupt that trade – whether it’s about scrapping NAFTA, a border tax, or further layers of border security – is of a real concern to us,” says David Bradley, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. “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.”

The statement signatories include the Chambers of Commerce of both countries in addition to bilateral trade organizations like the Canadian-American Business council based in Washington, D.C., the North American Strategy for Competitiveness based in Dallas, Texas, the Canadian Business Association of North Carolina based in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Canada Arizona Business Council based in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Canada-U.S. Law Institute based in Cleveland Ohio.

According to Bradley, a truck crosses the Canada-U.S. border about once every two and a half seconds, and 40% of trade between the two countries is intra-corporate.

“A piston, for example, can cross the border seven or eight times during the manufacturing process. Our economies are that integrated,” says Bradley. “Canada-U.S. trade is balanced. It’s based on mutual competencies and rules-based on trade – not cheap labour or advantages conveyed by shrinking safety and environmental consideration.”