North American Leaders Urged to Streamline Cross-Border Travel Rules at Three Amigos Summit

• Mandatory pre-departure PCR testing for fully vaccinated travellers to Canada is keeping American and Mexican visitors at home and deteriorating trade and economic partnership in North America
• Business leaders join the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable in calling on the Canadian government to remove the pre-departure PCR test for fully vaccinated visitors to streamline entry requirements across North America

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Together with the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable ("The Roundtable"), American and Canadian business leaders are calling on the Presidents of the United States and Mexico and Canada's Prime Minister to streamline cross-border travel rules when they meet at tomorrow's Three Amigos Summit in Washington. Removing the mandatory pre-departure PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers coming into Canada is critical for a strong economic recovery in North America.

Over many decades and various rounds of trade negotiations, Canada, the United States, and Mexico have reached a balanced, reciprocal trade agreement that grows the North American economy.

Our trade negotiations have taught us that rules need to change with the times. And now is the time for Canada to change its rules for pre-departure testing.

A pre-departure PCR test for arrivals into Canada runs counter to the recommendations made by the Canadian federal government's COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel ("The Expert Panel"), which concluded that fully vaccinated travellers should not require a pre-departure test for a trip of any duration. Travel measures should be based on a traveller's vaccination status and should be consistent with the recommendation of the Government Expert Panel.  The Canadian government's mandatory pre-departure PCR test to enter the country leads international travellers to do business elsewhere and discourages cross-border commerce, trade, and travel.  Inconsistent U.S. land and air travel policies also create confusion and need to be consistent and science-based.

Even more concerning, Canada's travel rules are out of step with the international community. Countries including France, Portugal, Germany and the United Kingdom have recognized that requiring pre-departure and arrival tests for vaccinated travellers is redundant and have exempted fully vaccinated Canadian travellers from pre-departure testing requirements.  

The pandemic, vaccination status, and available science has changed; so too should the response and measures to keep Canadians safe while allowing the North American economic partnership to prosper once again. 

Quotes

"The leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico should prioritize removing friction from our mutual borders. It is the only way to ensure people and businesses can get back to normal. Canada's rules on international travel risk are leaving our businesses behind. Today, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is joining with our international colleagues and partners in the Canadian travel and tourism sectors in calling on our heads of state to encourage Canada to streamline its travel rules and remove the pre-departure PCR test for vaccinated travellers needed to enter into Canada. Getting rid of unnecessary and outdated travel rules will help Canada's businesses get back to work – and compete."

-  Perrin Beatty
President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

"The U.S.-Canada border has yet to return to pre-pandemic normal operation, and recent changes fall short of a "new normal" to which citizens and businesses can adapt. As Minister of Foreign Affairs during 9/11, I have seen firsthand the necessity of cross-border policy cooperation. American and Canadian leaders have worked together to solve greater cross-border risks; we need to continue this approach. The mandatory pre-departure PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers is not rooted in science and should be removed."

-  John Manley
Canada's Former Minister of Foreign Affairs

"At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses understood that immediate and drastic action was needed to protect the health of all Canadians. Businesses met these calls willingly and efficiently. Today we are in a very different position – Canada is one of the most vaccinated countries globally – and our COVID rules must reflect this reality. The time to remove the pre-departure PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers, which is harming businesses and their customers, and keeping families apart, was yesterday. We need changes now, not half measures or updates three weeks from now."

-  Goldy Hyder
President & CEO, Business Council of Canada

"After nearly 19 months, the U.S.- Canada border has not yet recovered from COVID-19. Leftover border restrictions like the pre-departure PCR test are freezing Canada-U.S. relations and are cooling both countries' economies. It is time for Canada to take the lead and put forward a set of standardized and reciprocated travel rules designed to level the playing field for Canadian businesses."

-  Deanna Horton
Global Fellow, Wilson Center

"Canada and the United States share the world's longest undefended border. The free passage of people between our two nations feeds both of our economic engines. For the first time since September 2001, this reality is at risk. To that end, Canada must immediately move to standardize its travel rules with the United States to mitigate any unnecessary impacts businesses will face – on both sides of the border – stemming from Canada's irrational and non-science-based approach to re-opening the economy."

-  Rick Tachuk
National Capital Chairman and National Chair, American Chamber of Commerce in Canada

About the Canadian Tourism Roundtable

The Canadian Tourism Roundtable is a cross-Canadian coalition of leaders in the tourism and travel sector – including representatives from airports, airlines, hotels, and chambers of commerce across the country – committed to working together to restart the sector smoothly and safely. Travel and Tourism is a $102 billion sector, employing millions of Canadians across the country and accounting for 2.1% of the country's gross domestic product. It advocates for a safe and prosperous tourism and travel sector across Canada. 

SOURCE Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable

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