The Roseau and Lancaster Ports of Entry will see reduced hours beginning January 7th.

The current hours of operation for the Port of Lancaster are 8 am to 10 pm, which coincides with the hours of operation at the adjacent Canadian Port of Tolstoi. Effective January 7th, the new hours at Lancaster will be 8 am to 4 pm. Travellers wishing to cross into the United States between the hours of 4 pm and 8 am may cross at Pembina, North Dakota, which is a 24 hour Port of Entry approximately 50 kilometres west of Lancaster.

As for the Port of Roseau, hours of operation are currently 8 am to midnight, which coincides with the hours at the adjacent Canadian Port of South Junction. Beginning January 7th, the new hours of operation at Roseau will be 8 am to 8 pm. Motorists who want to cross into the United States between 8 pm and 8 am can cross at Warroad, Minnesota, which is a 24 hour Port of Entry approximately 30 kilometres east of Roseau.

"Minimal traffic after 4 pm and 8 pm, along with fiscal responsibility with taxpayer money were a determining factor for the adjustment of hours at Lancaster and Roseau," says Michele James, Seattle Field Office Director of Field Operations.

The Ports of Lancaster and Roseau were identified for modification of operational hours to realign resources to workload. This adjustment will allow CBP to properly align staffing with workload, maintain CBP's inspectional and enforcement missions, and redirect resources to ports with greater commercial and passenger volumes. Northbound travellers and cargo exports will not be affected by this change.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is hosting town hall meetings in Roseau and Lancaster to discuss the changes.