Companies that transport goods between
Canada, Mexico and the United States, are calling for fewer hassles
at border crossings.
A group called the Border Trade Alliance wants the countries to
build a seamless trade route across North America. But customs
agents from the U.S. and Canada said its unlikely the three
North-American countries will abandon their border controls.
Sam Vale represents a company in Texas that wants fewer freight
inspections, and less traffic congestion at borders across the
continent. "The old walls don't exist. Air and pollution don't stop
at the border ... provincialism is last year's news," he said.
His opinion is shared by Carlos Angulo, the chair of the Border
Trade Alliance, who says North America should take a lesson from the
European Union. "In Europe, with multiple languages and cultures,
that fought each other to death centuries ago, they do not have any
borders from a customs standpoint. And it has improved their
standard of life substantially."
Robert Trotter, of the United States Customs Service, says the
U.S. is not interested in following in the footsteps of the European
Union.
"It's taken them 50 years to get where they are. We've had NAFTA
for a few years, and we're not Europeans, and we separated from
Europe the hard way, so we don't do everything they do," said
Trotter.
A representative from Canada Customs told the gathering that
public concern about drugs, weapons, contraband, illegal
immigration, and food safety, will ensure at least some level of
intervention at the border.
