On May 19, 2017, representatives from organizations across the business sector signed a joint letter, titled Investments in Our Borders, calling upon the federal government to increase CBSA funding and resources to deal with problems demanding urgent attention.
The letter, addressed to several federal ministers and signed by twelve major business sector associations, outlined long-standing cross-border trade problems, such as major delays and shutdowns due to the CBSA’s antiquated IT system. The letter also stressed the negative impact of staffing shortfalls which, combined with technical issues, continue to threaten the efficiency of cross-border commerce between Canada and the USA.
Ultimately, the signatories requested that “the Treasury Board of Canada increase CBSA’s budget as soon as possible to fix CBSA IT issues and add the staff required to help facilitate trade at the border,” highlighting that action is “urgently needed” on the government’s part.
Read the full letter here.
