Canada's federal government is asking Canadians to weigh in on the new Canada-U.S. security perimeter.

Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan launched the public consultation process as part of the new border security action plan in Niagara Falls, Ont., while Minister of State Denis Lebel made an identical announcement in Montreal.

"We are seeking Canadians’ input on ways both countries can move forward to a safer, more secure and prosperous future. I invite all interested parties to make their views known," Van Loan said in a news statement.

In Niagara Falls, Ont., Sunday, Van Loan and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson stressed the need to hear from the people who actually use the border every day.

"Quite simply, it is Canadians that use the border, not the government," Van Loan said. "Canadian businesses and workers send goods across the border and many Canadian tourists visit across that border every year. That's who we want to hear from about the best ways to manage our border in the years to come."

Comments can be submitted to borderactionplan.gc.ca until April 21.

Some 200,000 people cross the Canada-U.S. border every day and the flow of goods between the two countries topped $500 billion last year, and about $1 million worth of goods cross the border every minute, according to government statistics.