Owens Addresses Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance Conference

Press Release

Yesterday, Representative Bill Owens joined Representative Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to address the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance's (CanAmBTA) annual policy conference in Washington, D.C.

CanAmBTA is a group of public and private sector partners who facilitate stronger relationships between the United States and Canada so trade, travel, and tourism across the northern border is as safe and efficient as possible.

During his speech, Representative Owens highlighted the differences between America's trading partnership with Canada and with Mexico. He noted that U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totaled more than $680 Billion while trade with Mexico totaled about $500 Billion per year. Trade and investment between the US and Canada supports more than eight million jobs across the country, including more than 20,000 jobs throughout the 21st district of New York.

"In a time when our nation is grappling with many complicated policy issues concerning the southern border, we cannot forget the important economic relationship between Canada and the United States," Representative Bill Owens said. "Any border policy discussion has to account for the fact that Canada is the nation's leading trading partner."

Representative Owens covered a variety of other US-Canada trade topics including the following: the success of an Owens-authored amendment to stop the government from potentially collecting a fee at the northern border; the Beyond the Border Action Plan and its role in achieving beneficial outcomes such as reduced delays at border crossings; and the economic significance of US-Canada regulatory and energy cooperation.

Representative Owens is the Co-chairman of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus.

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