America’s border policy has long been trapped in a false choice between security and commerce. But history shows us that smart policies grounded in technology and risk management can enhance both.

The aftermath of 9/11 provides a blueprint: When terrorists exploited gaps in aviation security, the U.S. responded with a major overhaul that improved both safety and efficiency. The creation of new programs that mitigated the risk from travelers visiting the U.S. allowed commerce and business, as well as legitimate travel for professional and personal reasons, to flourish.

Today, the challenge is different but no less urgent. Our borders must be secure not just from illegal crossings but from economic threats — counterfeit goods, supply chain vulnerabilities and adversarial state influence. This is doubly true in the era of higher tariffs and geoeconomic competition.

The solution lies in leveraging technology to ensure provenance and rules of origin, just as we did with the Smart Border Initiative in the early 2000s. That effort, launched between the U.S. and Canada, balanced security with trade facilitation, using advanced screening for high-risk shipments while expediting low-risk, trusted shippers and travelers.

It worked. Trusted traveler programs like NEXUS and expedited freight lanes like

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