Border zealots seize on protectionist sentiment

The economic downturn has brought the usual protectionist currents. Unfortunately, border crossings become even more entangled with these sentiments. The CBC reports of one such ugly occurrence. The US administration must take the firehose to this anti-growth protectionist pandering and douse it before the wheels of trade grind down. This is not good news for the prospect of recovery.

Harbinger of border control

The U.S. is now monitoring the Canadian border with unmanned drones. This is a symptom of the very concerning approach our national governments have to North American security. It is faulty, wasteful, and reveals an underlying fracture that could disrupt trade. Better that technologies be used to guard the North American perimeter. However, it is important that Canada, in particular, do everything possible to appease American security concerns by harmonizing its security policies with the U.S. Failure to do so leads to this kind of initiative - one that only foreshadows even more stringent border control. This can only harm both economies.

Time to tackle the border problem

Another voice for a proactive Canadian approach toward an expanded U.S. security perimeter: economist Patrick Grady shares today in his National Post op-ed piece, "Mr. Obama, tear down that border". The substantial economic challenges the North American economy faces will not be met by grand speeches and colossal public expenditure. A concerted effort to frame the politics of an integrated North American economy should be a top priority. A good starting point is the Canada-U.S. border. There is much at stake for both economies if trans-border inefficiencies continue to hamper trade. Many politicians recognize this - but few are committed and forceful enough to take on this issue. It is time an inspired voice come to the fore.

The economic cost of the Canada-U.S border

Most Canadians do not realize the impact of the current leadership void in tackling cross border security issues with the United States. Without an integrated security perimeter commercial relations between the two countries will become increasingly strained. It is imperative that border issues be resolved and that Canadians recognize the importance of a joint security plan. In a recently published study by the Woodrow Wilson International Center Michael Hart details the trade costs of this failure. See Free Trade in Free Fall? Assessing the Impact of Nontariff Barriers on Canada-U.S. Trade accessible at http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1420&fuseaction=topics.event_summary&event_id=372221