April 19, 2004

US To Ease Import Restrictions On Canada Beef

The United States has decided to lift remaining import restrictions on Canadian beef from younger animals from Monday.

Canadian beef industry observers say the move may signal the Americans' intention to reopen the border to live cattle.

The new rules will allow processors to ship products that include ground beef and bone-in cuts. That could mean an additional 170 million Canadian dollars (about 120 million US dollars) in annual sales to the United States.

The Canadian beef industry has been hit hard by international reaction to isolated cases of mad cow disease. The United States, Japan and other countries around the world closed down beef trade from Canada after a single case of mad cow disease was discovered in Alberta in May 2003.