While trade liberalization has been an unqualified success, it has also exposed some new hurdles. Costs associated with crossing the border continue to be a concern. The average non-tariff border cost can represent approximately 5 percent of the final invoice price of a given product. Most companies absorb these expenses as the cost of doing business. But surely we can do better.
Many manufacturers cross the border many times a day.
Same trucking company, same drivers, same goods. Consider the cost savings if officials could agree on a joint risk-assessment policy. Think also of resources which could then be freed up to target some of the illicit traffic occasionally running between our two countries. Almost 50 percent of all cross-border trade can be attributed to only 100 importers. Any system that could expedite passage of goods by frequent-user companies would be very beneficial in reducing border delays and increasing profit margins.