The New Security Perimeter with the United States

After 9/11, several decades of success in building a more open US-Canadian border came to an end due to rising security concerns. To ameliorate this trend, both countries are now attempting to make their border more permeable. This paper attempts to predict how a new security perimeter agreement will be negotiated and what subjects will be covered by any new agreement or series of agreements. Sensitive issues such as privacy, civil rights and harmonization of national regulations, trade and security practices are examined. The paper also deals with the twin problems of the current lack of trust in politicians and governments and the difficulty of getting an agreement before the American presidential and Congressional elections get under way in earnest. The paper concludes with an examination of what the consequences will be if no agreement is reached between Canada and the US on a new security and trade perimeter.