Attendees at the Department of Transportation and Transport Canada Tabletop Exercise supported by DHS
The U.S.-Canada border, spanning over 5,500 miles including Alaska, holds the title of the longest international border in the world. This vital boundary facilitates billions of dollars in trade between the two nations, which are each other’s largest trading partners. However, in recent years, multiple disruptions to transportation at the U.S.-Canada border have threatened to impede the flow of goods, jeopardizing supply chains. Labor and rail strikes on both sides have further exacerbated these concerns.
To fortify supply chain resilience, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Supply Chain and Resilience Center (SCRC) partnered with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Transport Canada (TC) to conduct a joint supply chain disruption exercise on June 5, 2024, in Niagara, Ontario. This initiative was a critical step in assessing cross-border transportation resilience.
The exercise saw over 150 participants, both in-person and virtual, including partners from American and Canadian government departments and agencies. They faced a simulated severe winter weather event, focusing on disruptions and closures at key rail and road crossings between western New York and Ontario, Canada, specifically the Peace Bridge and Lewiston/Queenston Bridge. Daily, $2 billion in goods and services crosses the entire U.S.-Canada border. The Niagara region used for the exercise is the second busiest area of trade and transit, with $70 billion in goods crossing annually that would essentially halt if the area’s bridges were closed.
With aligned interests, the SCRC collaborated with DOT and TC to design and plan the exercise, supported throughout by an Exercise Facilitator provided by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Intermodal Security Training. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Infrastructure Security Division Chief Meteorologist, Sunny Wescott, played a pivotal role, demonstrating historical impacts of precipitation, winds, and icing on operations and discussing future mitigation strategies as weather systems grow more extreme. Wescott emphasized the necessity of these exercises to identify areas for improvements and foster collaboration ahead of potential disruptions.
The exercise was conducted under the U.S.-Canada Emergency Management Consultative Group framework, co-chaired by DHS with the Department of State and Canadian partners. The constructive dialogue underscored the value of collaboration among federal, Canadian, state/provincial, and private sector partners. Active participation by the DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CISA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and TSA reflects the deep strategic and operational expertise that DHS brings to the table in supply chain and infrastructure resilience. DHS Undersecretary for Policy, Robert Silvers, voiced strong support, noting that the exercise identified key vulnerabilities and implemented practices to enhance supply chain security.
The official After-Action Review, set to be released in August 2024, will detail the strengths and areas of improvement observed during the exercise. The insights gained will drive further discussions and collaborations between the two countries, promoting best practices and implementing meaningful changes to address shared concerns.