America to Lose Nearly a Billion Dollars a Year With New Border Crossing Policies

America will lose hundreds of millions annually if a new federal law requiring everyone who crosses into the U.S. from Canada to have secure passport-like ID is initiated. In 2008 new regulations will require U.S. citizens to possess a passport or a similar secure document. With this new regulation in place, Michigan alone could lose more than $100 million in revenue if spontaneous travel to Canada is hindered by a complicated border ID documentation policy.

“The country can not afford to lose any portion of annual income,” said Karen Rogers, Mayor, Port Angeles, Washington. “It is critical that we work with U.S. leadership to protect the country´s economy and ensure that required border ID documentation remains convenient and affordable for both local citizens and Canadian visitors.”

Under the law, passports and existing pre-clearance programs like NEXUS for passengers and FAST for commercial carriers will be sufficient for establishing an individual´s identity and citizenship, however few people have these documents. In fact, only 20 percent of Americans and 40 percent of Canadians currently have a passport.

The Conference Board of Canada predicts that current plans could result in 3.5 million fewer nationwide crossings from Canada to the U.S. and more than twice this number from the U.S. to Canada. The result is $785 million annual cost to the U.S. and $1.7 billion to Canada.