Completed USMCA May Allow for Renewed Discussion of North American Single Window, Officials Say

There may be a new opportunity for discussing a North American Single Window now that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade negotiations are completed, U.S. and Canadian officials said during the stakeholder's forum of the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council on Dec. 5. While the trilateral engagement toward a North American Single Window for data entry remains an inherently difficult undertaking, "it's going to be made infinitely easier, I believe," by the agreement to update NAFTA, said Lea-Ann Bigelow, director of interagency collaboration in the CBP Office of Trade. Mike Junek, director of the Canada Border Services Agency programs branch, agreed that completing the USMCA will allow the agencies to shift to other initiatives, such as a North American Single Window. A first step will be "defining what we mean by a North American Single Window" and there's been some work done previously on data harmonization efforts, but "I think the time is right to pick it up again," Junek said. The North American Single Window was discussed for several years, but there's been little movement as the agencies focused on higher priorities recently (see 1609200035).