Canada, U.S. adjust border service hours to enhance security

OTTAWA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said on Monday that Canada and the United States are adjusting service hours at land ports together to enhance overall security for both countries.
The CBSA said in a news release that the measure was determined in collaboration with the United States to adjust service hours at 35 land ports of entry across Canada as of 12:01 a.m. local time (1701 GMT) on Jan. 6, 2025.
The U.S.-Canada alignment will allow both countries to return inadmissible travelers and goods to the other country, which is more difficult when one side of the border is closed while the other remains open, the agency said.
According to the release, the measure will allow the CBSA to use its resources more efficiently by deploying officers at busier ports of entry, improving its ability to process travelers and goods while managing enforcement activities.
These adjustments are based on an analysis of operational pressure, peak periods, and services required at the ports of entry to minimize the impacts on border communities, the release said.
Almost all the ports of entry are processing an average of two or fewer cars or commercial trucks per hour during the hours that will no longer be in operation, and travelers have an alternative border crossing option within a 100 km radius, it added.
The United States and Canada share the world’s longest international border, spanning 8,891 km with 120 land ports of entry. ■