U.S.-Canada Maritime Commerce Resilience Initiative

U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border - Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan

Read the Final Report

Overview

​The United States Coast Guard, Transport Canada and PNWER partnered in the development of a framework for swiftly managing traffic in the event of an emergency, with the goal of expediting maritime commerce recovery through regional collaboration between Canada and the United States. The pilot project included the planning and execution of several cross border, multi-sector workshops and a tabletop exercise which led to the development of a protocol framework for regional maritime commerce recovery.  

Background

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on February 4, 2011 the Beyond the Border initiative to ensure that the vital economic partnership that joins our two countries continues to be the cornerstone of our economic competitiveness and security as we jointly face the challenges of the 21st century. The Beyond the Border Working Group has proposed the development of a framework for swiftly managing traffic in the event of an emergency, with the goal to expedite maritime commerce recovery through regional collaboration between Canada and the United States. Development of the Framework will be guided by a Pilot Project in British Columbia (BC) Lower Mainland – United States Pacific Northwest region. Specifically, the pilot project will leverage region-based, cross-border maritime resilience and recovery committees. The outcomes of this pilot guided similar work in the Atlantic and Great Lakes regions beginning in 2013. 

Read the final report here.