US Issues Proposed Rule On Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Step in Right Direction, but Uncertainties Remain, According to CTA 

(June 21, 2007) -- The US Departments of State and Homeland Security have issued their long-anticipated proposed rule for land and sea travel to the United States under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).  While the announcement contains some positive news – notably the acceptance of a truck driver FAST card as a passport alternative - it does not remove several key uncertainties surrounding WHTI, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance. 

Under WHTI, US and Canadian citizens will require a passport or alternative document(s) to enter the United States by land from Canada.  The original deadline was January 1, 2008, but under the proposal announced:

• US and Canadian citizens will be able to cross the land border into the United States with a government issued photo ID card, along with proof of citizenship, until summer 2008.  This would include, for example, a drivers license and birth certificate. WHTI-compliant documents, including a passport, FAST and NEXUS card will also be accepted.
• Oral declarations will not be accepted after January 31, 2008.
• It is expected that by summer 2008, only WHTI-compliant documents will be accepted.

“There are a number of positive aspects to this proposal,” commented CTA Chief Executive Officer David Bradley. “All along CTA has advocated FAST as an alternative for commercial drivers, and it now appears certain that this will become a reality.  It also appears DHS and the State Department have recognized that with passport offices overloaded, and a little over six months until the original land border implementation date, they could not possibly go ahead on January 1^st, 2008 as planned. Moreover, the US has not slammed the door on use of a security enhanced drivers license, which would be an attractive alternative not only for the trucking industry, but also passenger car drivers. We have long been concerned over the possibility of border disruptions if there are passenger vehicle bottlenecks as a result of WHTI requirements.”

At the same time, the plans announced run up against recent actions in the US Congress. Last week, CTA joined a number of US and Canadian business groups under the umbrella of Americans for Better Borders in urging the House of Representatives to “ensure proper implementation of the WHTI that guarantees security without sacrificing the economy.”  The House of Representatives subsequently voted overwhelmingly in favour of an extension of the land and sea provisions until at least June 2009 in order to ensure that adequate plans, staffing and technology are in place before land border implementation moves forward.  According to Bradley, “While the announcement takes us a bit closer to understanding when and how WHTI will impact the border, it looks like it will be a while yet before we have all of the answers.”  

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About CTA: The Canadian Trucking Alliance is a federation of provincial trucking associations. We represent a broad cross-section of the trucking industry—some 4,500 carriers, owner-operators and industry suppliers. With our head office in Ottawa and provincial association offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton, CTA represents the industry’s viewpoint on national and international policy, regulatory and legislative issues that affect trucking.