December 30, 2004

Canadian Cattle Imports To Be Partially Resumed In US

The United States will resume limited imports of Canadian cattle beginning in March. This move comes more than 19 months after a mad cow scare closed US borders to Canadian cattle.

The new policy will permit imports of cattle younger than 30 months as well as certain other animals and products from Canada. The US Agriculture Department said Canada has taken effective measures to prevent and detect bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

The department said the ruling, which will take effect March 7, came after determining Canada is a "minimal-risk region," the first country recognized as such.

"After conducting an extensive review, we are confident that imports of certain commodities from regions of minimal risk can occur with virtually no risk to human or animal health," according to Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman.

The imported cattle will be subject to certain restrictions, including making sure they are slaughtered by the age of 30 months; transported in sealed containers to a feedlot or slaughter; and not given permission to move to more than one US feedlot.

Other Canadian imports of sheep and goats, as well as meat and other products from those animals are to be allowed in limited measures.

Live cattle shipments from Canada were banned in May 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was discovered in Alberta. A second case in December 2003 in Washington state was discovered in a Canadian-born cow.

The Agriculture Department first proposed establishing minimal-risk regions in November 2003, but the subsequent mad cow scare prompted the department to reevaluate the proposals.

One US cattle group, R-CALF USA, which stands for Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, however, has threatened to take further legal action to stop the expanded trade.