U.S., Canada enhance border management procedures

U.S., Canada enhance border management procedures    The United States and Canada announced several steps on Tuesday to tighten cooperation along their common border for security and smoothing trade and travel procedures.
   Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano and her Canadian counterpart, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan, agreed at a meeting in Washington to align their respective trusted trader programs, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism and Partners in Protection, within one year so that companies that meet security requirements in one country can receive trade facilitation benefits in the other.
   The United States and Canada signed a mutual recognition agreement in the summer of 2008.
   The two domestic safety and security agencies also extended an existing arrangement for cooperation on trade and travel during emergencies at land ports of entry to the maritime environment. The new annex to the joint framework on emergency cooperation guides communication and cooperation during incidents that affect shared waterways and ports, enabling both nations to assist one another during emergencies.   
   The two leaders also agreed to joint measures on immigration, money laundering and human trafficking.