How the Border Impacts the PNW Region
Don AlperProfessor and Director
Border Policy Research InstituteWestern Washington University
Presented at The Pacific Northwest Gateway to Asia: Trade, Energy and
Managing Environmental Challenges ConferenceUnion Club of British Columbia, Victoria, BC
October 28, 2014V
Context:
Geography and Flows
North American Corridors
1. Cross border freight and people flows are concentrated in Lower Mainland/NW WA region
2. Large concentration of energy facilities and flows in the region
Two Things About Flows in Cascadia
Origin & Destination of Trucked Freight Traversing Cascade GatewaySource: BPRI, 2014
A sub-regional transboundary freight zone Freight Flows--
People Flows – mostly linked to tourism and
retail
Source: Canadians Shopping in NW Washington, Border Policy Brief, BPRI, Spring 2-13
Energy Facilities/Flows in PNW
Basics on Border and Regional Flows
• Energy is largest cross border export and import – pipelines, rail and boats less impacted by border– convergence of S/N and E/W energy flows in Cascadia
• Excluding energy—BC is still main destination of WA exports to Canada, and BC is main source of imports (5.3B and 3.5B respectively)
• Over 90% of that traffic carried by trucks
Border Effects on Flows
• Costs– Delays, compliance with regs.
• Constraints on cross border worker mobility– Outdated worker categories (ie., NAFTA TN)– Inadmissibility policies (ie., DUIs)– Speed & predictability in obtaining worker permits– Complex business relations (short stays, permitted goods,
etc.)• Border bifurcates “Cascadia” tourism
– 9/11 legacy (passport law, intimidating border)– Separate visas for Asian visitors
Overcoming Border Effects
• De-pressurize the border—inspect/clear away from border– Beyond the Border Initiative, 2011
• Provide adequate resources for efficient mobility (most important--personnel, infrastructure)
Regional Opportunities• Cross-border regional assets could be marketed more effectively in
Asia and globally• Location--access to two national markets; major ports• Diverse, high skills workforce (inward migration a plus!)• Two-nation vacation tourism
• Foster collaboration; build on existing relationships• Region-wide synergistic orgs
– Pacific Coast Collaborative– Pacific Northwest Economic Region– Governor-Premier Executive Process
• Industry associations that cross border– Clean Tech Alliance of Washington– PNW Aerospace Alliance– Washington Technology Industry Association– US and Canada chambers of commerce, numerous travel and trade assoc
• Cascadia-scale NGOs– EcoTrust– Sightline– Salmon Nation
