THE IMPACT OF THE U.S. BIO-TERRORISM ACT UPON CANADIAN EXPORTERS OF FOOD PRODUCTS TO THE UNITED STATES: A Firm-Level Analysis

摘要

This article examines the impact of the 2002 U.S. Bio-terrorism Act (BTA) upon Canadian exporters of food products to the United States. A major goal of the BTA is to secure U.S. ports of entry against imports that might threaten the health or safety of U.S. citizens. Although this is a respectable goal, data from a sample of 144 Canadian exporters suggest that the BTA represents a non-tariff barrier to Canada-U.S. trade. Current regulatory procedures have disrupted cross-border supply chains in significant ways. These disruptions have damaged the Canada-U.S. commercial relationship by imposing extra shipment and distribution costs upon Canadian exporters. These delays have had a serious impact upon small-to-medium sized firms (SMFs).