ShareThisBy GABRIELA RICO
Arizona Daily Star
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce are trying to put a figure on the hours trucks spend idling in long lines at the southern ports of entry.
The results aren't yet in, but early indications are that the delays could be costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars.
A delegation recently visited the two ports in Nogales, Ariz., to observe the movement of trade into the United States and are preparing a report for President Bush when he meets Tuesday with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Quebec for the North American Free Trade Agreement summit.
"We're trying to get a better understanding of how to balance security and prosperity," said David Bohigian, with the International Trade Administration of the Commerce Department.
The visit to Nogales included federal officials and representatives from Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano's office. The governor has repeatedly expressed concern about the movement of trade through Arizona.
More than 70,000 trucks carry everything from automobiles to surgical instruments cross the U.S.-Mexican border each day.
In Nogales alone, the two ports of entry handle up to 1,500 trucks a day with truckers reporting waits of up to eight hours during the busy agricultural season.
Bohigian said an assessment done at the Canadian border determined that it costs $100 to $200 an hour to have trucks waiting to enter the United States.
He guessed that figure would be similar for the cost of waiting at the Mexican border.
"Moving one or two minutes faster could translate into billions of dollars," Bohigian said.
Coordination of hours of operation at the ports and working with U.S. import companies to ensure their facilities and drivers comply with security measures is part of the recommendation the president will get from the delegation, Bohigian said.
The concern about the long waits at the border is not new, but is receiving more attention as manufacturing in and trade with Mexico increases.
Mexico is among the top three trading partners for the United States and $320 billion in trade crosses the border each year, according to Mexican officials.
At the two ports of entry in Nogales, there are about 200 officers assigned to process between 1,200 and 1,500 trucks a day as well as approximately 40,000 people a day in personal vehicles or on foot, said Brian Levin, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Trucks are subject to a minimum of six inspections and the average inspection lasts 45 minutes once the truck gets to an officer.
While wanting to expedite the process, Customs officers are also looking for narcotics tucked in with legitimate trade, counterfeit electronics or garments, pests and NAFTA violations, such as overseas companies slapping a "Made in Mexico" label on a shipment to avoid paying a higher tariff, Levin said.
"We're a revenue-producing agency for the federal government," he said. "And we have to balance facilitation and enforcement."
Contact Gabriela Rico at grico(at)azstarnet.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com
