Free and Secure Trade (FAST)

Backgrounder

Free and Secure Trade (FAST) is a joint Canada–U.S. initiative to enhance border and trade chain security while making cross-border commercial shipments simpler and subject to fewer delays. FAST gives members of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) trusted trader programs access to dedicated lanes and booths at specified ports of entry that allow them priority access to the border and expedited clearance. Currently, FAST lanes and booths are in operation in Sarnia and Windsor, ON and in Pacific Highway, BC. 

The FAST commercial driver portion is a joint Canada–U.S. program, but the requirements to access the FAST lane vary between the two countries and are administered independently. Currently, to be eligible to use FAST when entering Canada, importers and carriers must both be members of the CBSA’s two trusted trader programs: Partners in Protection (PIP) and Customs Self-Assessment (CSA). Drivers must be FAST or Commercial Driver Registration Program (CDRP) approved, and the load must consist of eligible goods from the United States or Mexico. 

Under Beyond the Border Action Plan: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, the CBSA committed to extending FAST benefits to members of supply chain security programs. Data analysis, outlined in the Executive Summary of the FAST Expansion Recommendation Report, revealed merit in expanding membership eligibility at select locations and enhancing facilities that support trusted traders.

FAST Infrastructure Expansion

To meet its commitment to enhance facilities, the CBSA conducted a review of the top ten commercial highway ports to determine where investments in FAST infrastructure were warranted. The functionality of the current FAST locations was examined and performance metrics and qualitative analysis were used to examine possible locations for future expansion.

Three sites were identified for potential expansion in the 2014 FAST Recommendation Report, which proposed the following:

• Converting an existing commercial booth and lane at Fort Erie into a dedicated FAST lane and booth that will be operational during specific time periods.
• Modifying the current FAST lane and booth at Pacific Highway into a FAST-1st model, a system of queuing lanes and signals that gives priority to FAST trucks.
• Including a FAST lane and implementing the FAST-1st model in the Emerson port redesign.

FAST Membership Expansion

The Action Plan also called for the CBSA to extend FAST benefits to members of the PIP and CSA programs. In order to assess the feasibility of altering the FAST lane eligibility criteria, a six-month pilot project was conducted in Sarnia, ON, which allowed carriers and importers who were either PIP or CSA members—as opposed to both—to use the FAST lane.

Along with the pilot, additional analysis of commercial volumes indicated that there would be no negative impact on existing FAST lane users by expanding benefits to all trusted traders. Accordingly, the final FAST Recommendation Report recommends extending FAST benefits to PIP-only and CSA-only members at Pacific Highway, Sarnia, Fort Erie and Emerson.

Next Steps

Plans for specific infrastructure expansion or modification for each location and for membership expansion are in development. 

The recommended FAST lanes are scheduled to open at Fort Erie and Pacific Highway in winter 2017 and at Emerson by spring 2018. FAST membership expansion will be launched at the existing FAST sites of Pacific Highway and Sarnia, and at the expansion sites of Emerson and Fort Erie.

Canada Border Services Agency Transport Persons Economics and Industry