North Dakota delegation among lawmakers urging CBP to extend northern port of entry hours

Jun. 9—GRAND FORKS — North Dakota's congressional delegation is among a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers calling on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to restore normal operating hours at ports of entry on the U.S.-Canadian border.

On Wednesday, June 6, Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, and Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota, were among 10 lawmakers who signed a letter to Pete Flores, executive assistant commissioner of field operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The letter asks CBP to extend hours at ports of entry to at least match operating hours with adjacent Canadian Border Services Agency ports.

Hoeven and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, led the group. Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Jon Tester, D-Montana, and Steve Daines, R-Montana, and Reps. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho; Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, and Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, also signed the letter.

"These ports of entry serve a vital role in connecting our states' economies with Canada, and our constituents heavily rely on them for commerce, tourism, religious activities, trade, travel, health care, tribal connections, and more," reads the letter.

On March 27, the CBSA announced it would be restoring pre-pandemic hours of service at 39 land ports of entry. While CBP has extended hours at some ports of entry to match their Canadian counterparts, like North Troy and West Berkshire in Vermont, others remain mismatched.

Of the 39 Canadian ports of entry that had pre-pandemic operating hours restored in March, 14 are on the border between North Dakota and Canada. The restored hours mean Canadian ports of entry operate from either 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. Meanwhile, most U.S. ports of entry in North Dakota operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"The mismatched and uncoordinated hours are causing confusion and frustration across the northern border," wrote lawmakers.

Also on March 27, CBP announced the temporary extension of hours at four northern border ports of entry, including Maida, Northgate and Sherwood in North Dakota. The POEs were operating from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are now open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In the March 27 announcement, CBP said traffic volumes in North Dakota remain 39% below 2019 levels.

In the June 7 letter, lawmakers wrote that basing hours of operation on port of entry traffic was flawed.

"It is our strong belief this justification is flawed because our constituents are less likely to use the ports given these shortened hours," they said. "We believe when the border hours are extended to, at a minimum, match adjacent CBSA ports, vehicular and pedestrian traffic will increase to match, if not exceed, prepandemic levels."

According to hours listed on CBP and CBSA websites, border crossings with U.S. port of entry hours that do not match Canadian port of entry hours include Hansboro-Cartwright, Westhope-Coulter, Sarles-Crystal City, Carbury-Goodlands, Neche-Gretna, St. John-Lena, Antler-Lyleton, Hannah-Snowflake, Maida-Windygates, Walhalla-Winkler, Sherwood-Carievale, Noonan-Estevan Highway, Northgate and Fortuna-Oungre.