Speeches

U.S. Pre-Clearance facility to continue operations on Grand Bahama

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador John D. Rood

Freeport, Grand Bahama

October 3, 2006

Foreign Minister Mitchell, members of the media and guests, I am pleased to join you today to reaffirm our commitment to Pre-Clearance at the Freeport International Airport.  Minister Mitchell, I know that you and the Government of the Bahamas have worked tirelessly to ensure the continued operation of the pre-clearance facility.  I am pleased that we will continue our presence here as an active contribution to the economic well-being of Grand Bahama and its residents. 

Pre-clearance exemplifies the close relationship between the Bahamas and the United States and how this close relationship benefits both of our countries.  Pre-clearance makes the Bahamas an attractive destination for Americans seeking warm-weather vacation destinations abroad, providing jobs and economic opportunity to the people of the Bahamas, while allowing CBP to screen potential travelers to the United States before they arrive in country, saving the U.S. government the cost of deporting those who would otherwise arrive ineligible for entry into the U.S.

During the discussions I held with the Minister about the status of the Pre-Clearance facility in the course of the past year, he forcefully articulated the importance of the pre-clearance facility to the economic health of Grand Bahama.  He pointed out that pre-clearance could affect connectivity to many cities in the U.S. and the convenience of gate connections, that passenger volumes could have dropped, and it could have affected the ability to attract additional airlift and investment to the island.

We took all of these points on board as we reviewed internally the budgetary implications of all of our operations here.  Running a pre-clearance facility is a costly proposition for the United States, but one that we are willing to support to help promote the prosperity and stability of our close neighbor to our East.  That is why Secretary Rice was able to confirm to Minster Mitchell at their meeting a week ago that we would not be closing pre-clearance.

During our visit to Freeport today, Foreign Minister Mitchell and I saw two other examples of win-win cooperation between our two countries: Megaports and the Container Security Initiative.  These programs allow for the screening of seaborne cargo containers at the Freeport Container Port for radioactive materials and weapons of mass destruction.  Illegal contraband and narcotics may be discovered as a by-product of this screening.

CSI and Megaports benefit the Bahamas by attracting additional traffic to the Container Port, since goods coming through Freeport will quickly enter the stream of commerce in the United States, already having been screened prior to arrival.  These programs benefit the United States by ensuring that potentially dangerous cargo does not enter our ports.

Freeport will be the fiftieth port to join CSI, when it becomes operational in the next few weeks.  Freeport is one of six ports where Megaports is operational.  More than twenty other ports are in the process of implementing Megaports, including Jamaica, which had representatives from its Customs Agency in Freeport this morning to view the operations of Megaports in the Bahamas.  The cutting-edge equipment being used here makes Freeport a model that other ports are already seeking to emulate.

I look forward to continuing our cooperation in these areas and others.  Minister Mitchell and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have. 

 

Thank you.