OTTAWA (Nov. 19, 2001) — The federal government is ready to spend “whatever it takes” to ensure Canada-U.S. trade continues to flow smoothly across the border, Finance Minister Paul Martin said Friday.

The actual figure may be closer to $500 million over several years, according to several newspaper reports. The money would be used to develop infrastructure like highways and bridges at border points and technology to improve customs processing.

Details are expected in the December budget.

Martin said the governmentÕs priority is to ensure the border remains “as open and as seamless as possible in terms of commercial traffic.”

His comments Friday came after he and Revenue Minister Martin Cauchon met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, who was in Ottawa for a meeting of the G-20 group of industrial and developing countries.

Transport Minister David Collenette, speaking at the Ontario Trucking Association’s annual convention in Toronto Friday, called balancing the need for a secure border and the need to streamline cross-border trade flows the government’s “No. 1 priority.”

He said a raft of initiatives would be announced in coming weeks. Among matters expected to be addressed are the pre-clearance of goods and travellers, and electronic processing of customs forms to collect duties and taxes.