February 3, 2005

Mexico's beef bans no longer needed

Mexico's ban on U.S. and Canadian beef and cattle imports is no longer necessary, a top animal health official said on Wednesday, after measures were taken to protect consumers from deadly mad cow disease.

Washington plans, on March 7, to allow Canada to resume shipments to U.S. markets of live cattle under 30 months of age. The U.S. decision would also expand the kinds of beef Canada could sell in the United States.

"Once the United States changes its policy, we will no longer really have either legal or technical reasons for continuing with the (Mexican) ban," Javier Trujillo, the head of animal health at Mexico's Agriculture Ministry said

However, Trujillo said it would be up to Mexican human health authorities to change Mexico's beef import policy. He said health and agriculture officials from Mexico, the United States and Canada will meet in Ottawa next week to discuss beef policies.

"Once you've cut restrictions on Canadian beef -- where the risk lay, technically -- that should be extended to beef from the United States," Trujillo said.