Canada to launch first preclearance site in the U.S., says CBSA

Canada is set to open its first preclearance operation in the United States this year as part of a plan to boost border security amid growing pressure from the incoming U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

The news was shared in a press release from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) last Thursday (Jan. 2).

The initiative will have Canadian border services officers working at a shared facility at the Cannon Corners port of entry in New York (adjacent to the Covey Hill, QC port of entry), the release says.

For the two-year duration of the operation, travellers entering Canada will go through Cannon Corners instead of the Covey Hill port of entry, which will be closed to travellers during that time.

At the preclearance site, Canadian officers will examine travellers and goods to decide whether they are admissible into Canada, as they currently do at ports of entry in Canada.

This includes screening for dangerous goods, such as firearms and drugs, before they leave the U.S.

Travellers will not be able to submit claims for refugee protection at this preclearance site, CBSA said, but they can do so at a Canadian port of entry.

Most other types of immigration requests will be accommodated at this location, the agency said.

The U.S. currently has preclearance operations at eight Canadian airports.

The announcement comes as Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian products coming into the U.S. unless Canada increase border security.

In response, Ottawa unveiled a new border plan worth $1.3 billion last month, which includes a joint strike force and an “around the clock” aerial surveillance unit for ports of entry.

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