March 5, 2004

US Beef To Mexico To Require Proper Certification
 
Following Mexico's agreement to lift its ban on US beef, certification issues need to be cleared up before trade can begin again, a vice president with the U.S. Meat Export Federation said Thursday.
 
Homero Recio said that even though Mexico agreed Wednesday to open its border to U.S. boneless beef - so long as it comes from cattle under 30 months of age - U.S. shipments probably will not begin immediately.
 
Recio said he is optimistic that it will be a matter of days, not weeks, before the U.S. and Mexico settle the remaining certification issues and trade starts again.
 
"I don't expect it to be immediate because the requisites for export to Mexico have been agreed upon between the two countries, but how they are actually going to be implemented and certified in the plants is in the process of being developed," he said. "And as soon as that process is developed ... they will be able to produce and ship products."
 
Mexico banned U.S. beef and live cattle on Dec. 24, a day after the U.S. announced it had discovered a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known commonly as mad-cow disease, in one dairy cow in Washington state.
 
Mexico imported $819 million worth of beef from the U.S. in the first 11 months of 2003 before the USDA announced its BSE discovery in December, according to data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Mexico is the second-largest market for U.S. beef behind Japan.
 
U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Bill Hawks said Thursday that U.S. beef exports will benefit sharply from Mexico's decision to ease its ban, although he would not predict an amount or time period.
 
Hawks, who is chief of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs, said beef from cattle under 30 months of age makes up a significant percentage of traditional U.S. sales to Mexico.