Trading Across 'Thicker, Costlier' Border.(international economic relation United States and Canadian)

BYLINE: William B. Cassidy

The United States needs a "thinner" border with its largest trading partner, says the head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Efforts to improve border security are backfiring by imposing barriers on crossborder trade and investment, said Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the leading Canadian business organization.

"The border is becoming thicker, stickier and more costly, and that affects jobs on both sides of the border, raises consumer costs and puts North America's industrial base at a disadvantage," he told reporters at an Oct. 29 press conference in Washington.

"We're seeing layer upon layer of …