February 3, 2016 The Honorable R. Gil KerlikowskeCommissioner U.. Cus!oms an" #or"er $ro!e%!ion&e'ar!men! o( Homelan" e%uri!y1300 $ennsyl)ania *)e., +ashin-!on, &C 2022 &ear Commissioner Kerlikowske/ Thank you (or your %on!inue" lea"ershi' o( U.. Cus!oms an" #or"er $ro!e%!ion C#$. Re%en!ly, !he a-en%ys a-reemen! !o en!er in!o a 'ubli%'ri)a!e 'ar!nershi' wi!h &ell, 4n%. !o (un"a""i!ional hours o( o'era!ion (or sou!hboun" %ommer%ial !ra((i% wen! in!o e((e%! a! !he an!a Teresa $or! o( 5n!ry $5. To en%oura-e businesses !o !ake a")an!a-e o( e7!en"e" hours, we woul" a''re%ia!e !ha! all C#$ in(orma!ional ma!erials re(le%! !his %han-e an" be ma"e a)ailable !o !he 'ubli%. ou!hern +ew 8e7i%o is a (as!-rowin- in!erna!ional !ra"e %en!er, an" !his a""i!ional %a'a%i!y allows i! !o %on!inue !o e7'an". Re%en! (e"eral an" 'ri)a!e in)es!men!s a! !he an!a Teresa $5 surroun"in- areas ha)e hel'e" e7'an" an" im'ro)e !he e((i%ien%y o( !ra"e alon- !he +ew 8e7i%oChihuahua in!erna!ional  bor"er. *""i!ionally, a 2019 U. Commer%e &e'ar!men! s!u"y re'or!e" !ha! +ew 8e7i%o le" all U.. s!a!es in -oo"s e7'or! 'er%en!a-e -row!h !o 8e7i%o an" is !he (as!es!-rowin- s!a!e in !he %oun!ry (or :obs rela!e" !o in!erna!ional e7'or!s. To buil" on !his momen!um, we mus! ensure e((i%ien! !ra"e alon- !he bor"er, ease (u!ure (low o( !ra((i% in !he years !o %ome, an" kee' our 'or!s o( en!ry o'era!in- a! (ull %a'a%i!y. To !his en", weres'e%!(ully re;ues! !ha! you e7!en" !he week"ay hours o( o'era!ion (or nor!hboun" %ommer%ial !ra((i% !o ali-n wi!h !he re%en! e7'ansion o( sou!hboun" hours. e also ask !ha!, u'on !he !ermina!ion o( !he 'ubli%'ri)a!e 'ar!nershi' wi!h &ell, C#$ 'ermanen!ly e7!en" bo!h nor!h boun" an" sou!hboun" %ommer%ial hours (rom < a.m. un!il mi"ni-h! on week"ays. Finally, we re;ues! !ha! hours be e7!en"e" !o 29 hours 'er "ay (or 'e"es!rian an" 'ri)a!ely owne" )ehi%le $= !ra((i% an" !ha! you work wi!h !he 8e7i%an -o)ernmen! !o ensure i! main!ains %orres'on"in- hours. 57!en"in- !he hours a! an!a Teresa $5 woul" %rea!e numerous bene(i!s (or !he bor"er re-ion an" na!ion. The a""i!ional %a'a%i!y woul" hel' in%rease bila!eral !ra"e, -row our e%onomy, an" %rea!e new :obs. The e7!en"e" hours woul" also enable !ra((i% !ha! %urren!ly %rosses in 5l $aso, Te7as, !o !ra)el !hrou-h +ew 8e7i%o, !hereby re"u%in- hea)y %on-es!ion an" lon- wai! !imes.