Operating hours at three North Dakota ports of entry along the Canadian border will temporarily expand beginning April 1st.
U-S Customs and Border Protection made the announcement today affecting ports of entry in Maida (ND) in Cavalier County, Northgate (ND) in Burke County, and Sherwood (ND) in Renville County.
C-B-P says two hours will be added at the end of the workday, resulting in new hours of 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM for 120 days.
Officials say current traffic volumes in North Dakota remain about 39 percent below 2019 pre-pandemic levels. After 120 days, C-B-P will conduct an analysis on traffic flow.
The C-B-P ports at Pembina and Dunseith are staffed 24 hours a day.
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(CBP release: )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today that it will begin a 120-day temporary expansion of hours at four northern border ports of entry (POE), April 1.
The four locations are the Maida, Northgate, and Sherwood POEs in North Dakota and the Porthill POE in Idaho; all are located geographically within CBP’s Seattle Field Office.
For several years, CBP has documented a reduction in privately-owned vehicle and pedestrian traffic at some POEs along its northern border with some ports having permanently reduced operational hours prior to 2019. As part of CBP’s obligation to use its resources responsibly and most efficiently, continual evaluations of workload, staffing, operating costs, and traffic volumes were performed to align operating hours that reflect traffic patterns and place employees where they can be most useful.
This expansion will temporarily add two additional hours of operation at the end of the current workday, resulting in new hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all four locations. Currently, traffic volumes in North Dakota and Idaho remain approximately 39% below their 2019 levels. At the conclusion of the temporary expansion of hours, CBP will conduct an analysis on traffic flow including an hourly breakdown, overall volume, and types of conveyances that crossed the border. CBP will also identify potential alternate POEs, review community impacts, and consider similar expanded hours at these locations.
CBP is working closely with its partners to discuss the operational details surrounding changes to port hours and is in close coordination with local governmental officials and congressional stakeholders. These efforts enable CBP to better align staffing during peak hours, which in turn, allow CBP to better serve the public and protect our country.
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(Sen. John Hoeven statement: )
“Northern border communities rely on legal trade and travel between the U.S. and Canada for their livelihoods,” said Senator Hoeven. “Through my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve been pressing CBP to return to normal operating hours at northern border ports of entry, and it’s past time that they moved this temporary expansion of hours forward. CBP and the CBSA reaching agreement on making this temporary extension at Maida, Northgate and Sherwood is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. Additionally, it’s critical that the Biden administration gets the crisis at our southern border under control, as it continues to result in resources being pulled away from the northern border. Accordingly, we continue pressing President Biden to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and are working to provide the personnel, technology and infrastructure required to ensure all of our nation’s borders are properly secured.”
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(Sen. Kevin Cramer statement: )
Extending port of entry hours at Maida, Northgate, and Sherwood is essential for our border communities. We need to fully transition to pre-pandemic hours of operation in order to accommodate travel and trade with Canada.
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