New federal task force aims to cut trade paperwork with a "Tell Us Once" approach
Transport Canada says the Trade Digitalization Task Force held its first meeting on Oct. 29 and is meant to make moving goods across the border faster and simpler.
Ottawa has set up a Trade Digitalization Task Force to make it faster and simpler to move goods in and out of Canada. The group held its first meeting on Oct. 29.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon's department announced the task force on Oct. 30.
What it is meant to do
The task force is built around a "Tell Us Once" approach. As the name suggests, the goal is for businesses moving goods to give information to government one time, rather than supplying the same details over and over.
There is no fixed end date. The department says the group will operate for as long as it is needed.
Who is at the table
The task force has 19 members from carriers, ports, shippers, financial bodies and government:
- Air Canada
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Canadian Federation of Independent Business
- CN
- CPKC
- Canadian Trucking Alliance
- Digital Trust Canada
- DP World
- Finance Canada
- Global Affairs Canada
- Livingston International
- Merck Canada
- Payments Canada
- Port of Halifax
- Port of Montréal
- Port of Vancouver
- Rio Tinto
- Sobeys
- University of Ottawa
The Canadian Trucking Alliance is the trucking industry's voice on the panel, and the CBSA is the border agency at the table.
Related funding
Transport Canada placed the task force alongside its trade infrastructure funding. The Trade Diversification Corridors Fund holds $5 billion. The National Trade Corridors Fund has $4.6 billion over 11 years, from 2017 to 2028.