February 11, 2004

 

 

Mexico Requires Further Clarification Before Lifting US Beef Ban

 

Mexico will require further clarification on safety measures implemented against mad cow disease before considering lifting the ban on US beef, a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary said Tuesday.

 

Bill Hawks, head of USDA's regulatory and marketing division, said: "They're looking for assurances. They want to be sure we are doing the things we said we were going to do and we continue to give them those assurances."

 

Hawks returned Saturday from a trip to Mexico, where Mexican Agriculture Secretary Javier Usabiaga handed over a list of points he wants clarified by USDA.

 

"We're in the process of responding to that letter now," Hawks said.

 

The letter handed over to Hawks was not the first sent by Mexico asking USDA for assurances on its BSE security. Hawks said USDA had just finished providing a lengthy response to earlier questions posed by Mexico before he left for Mexico last Thursday.

 

Mexico is traditionally the second-largest foreign market for U.S. beef. The U.S. exported 314,359 metric tons of beef to Mexico from January through November last year, worth $818 million, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

 

Mexico banned U.S. beef and live cattle on Dec. 24, a day after the U.S. announced it had discovered a case of BSE in one dairy cow in Washington state.

 

But Hawks said Mexican officials he met during his trip, including Usabiaga, expressed a desire to reopen trade.

 

"The consistent message," he said, "has been that they have a desire to open the border."

 

When Mexico does open its border, Hawks said he expects that boxed beef will likely be the first product allowed in.

 

"We're asking them to accept the products that they're accepting from Canada," Hawks said.

 

Mexico, like the U.S., accepts boneless beef products from Canada, so long as they are from cattle under 30 months old. Canada announced it had discovered a case of BSE in May 2003.

 

Hawks said he did not know if Mexico will send yet another letter with more questions on actions USDA is taking to keep the U.S. beef supply safe from BSE, but he did point out that no Mexican officials are scheduled to return to the U.S. for follow-up consultations.

 

Several Mexican officials accompanied Usabiaga on a trip to the U.S. last month to gather data on the U.S. investigation into its BSE case and new safety and surveillance measures implemented by USDA.

 

Hawks used a football metaphor to describe USDA's ongoing efforts to regain Mexico as a beef customer: "We're moving the ball down the field."