On May 31, the United States and Canada announced that both governments had agreed to the mutual recognition of and cooperation on, air cargo security in both countries. The Department of Homeland Security reports that, “Under the new mutual recognition initiative, cargo shipped on passenger aircraft will be screened at the point of origin and will not need to be rescreened at the border or prior to upload in the other country. With the two countries mutually recognizing each other air cargo security programs, the efficiency of screening is improved and the burden on the industry is reduced.”

This announcement marks one of the first initiatives in the Beyond the Border Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan that was announced jointly in February 2011 by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper. The plan was published in December 2011. It “establishes initiatives to improve the ability to manage security risks in both countries, while reducing the burden on business.” The plan focuses on four areas: addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.

On June 1, the European Commission and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also announced an agreement "to recognize each other's air cargo security regimes. Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for transport said, "We are getting rid of duplication of security controls, while preserving high levels of security. This is a big step forwards and it will have a major business impact. Air freight is by definition naturally urgent. Cutting out the duplication of security procedures will mean huge savings for cargo operators in terms of time and money."