Balance commerce, safety, official tells meeting in El Paso

By DAVID McLEMORE
The Dallas Morning News

EL PASO, Texas — With heightened security at the border in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and increased drug-related violence, residents find themselves in a delicate balancing act. They want enhanced security while continuing to maintain good access for the cross-border trade.

"Violence has had a large impact on border trade because it affects our perceptions of public safety," said Maria Louisa O'Connell, president of the Border Trade Alliance. "We have to be careful that we give people an accurate understanding based on facts, not scare stories."

Ms. O'Connell, addressing the fifth annual conference on border security at the University of Texas, El Paso, said the nation's preoccupation with tightening security along the border in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks has had an adverse effect on trade.

"That is why one of our biggest challenges now is to restore a sense of balance between trade and security," she said Tuesday. "The money from trade generates taxes, which pays for homeland security."

In 2007, U.S. exports to Mexico totaled $136 billion, while imports reached $210.7 billion. In the first six months of this year, U.S. exports were $73.9 billion and imports were $109 billion. About 79 percent of that trade flows through the eight ports of entry in Texas.

The North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada has proved a success, said Jamie Estrada, deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing at the Department of Commerce. It is responsible for $2.5 billion in goods and services moving across the borders daily.

Congestion at the ports of entries, resulting in long delays, serves as a bar to trade, he said. El Paso alone sees 238 million vehicles and pedestrians cross the border every year, Mr. Estrada said.

Thomas Winkowski, assistant commissioner for field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the agency's biggest challenge is outdated infrastructure at ports of entry.

The ports can't efficiently accommodate technological innovations, such as radiation monitors and infrared screening, which inspectors use daily.

"About 57 percent of our facilities are over capacity," he said. "But we estimate it will cost $5 billion to improve Customs facilities that will let us quickly inspect people and vehicles while facilitating legitimate trade and visits."

Customs is also taking steps to provide more inspectors to speed up traffic at the borders, Mr. Winkowski said.

Copyright 2008 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS