Canada border open to US cattle today!

[CW]

Beef News
North American BSE standard finalized; Canada to reopen border to U.S. cattle today

by Pete Hisey on 3/31/05 for Meatingplace.com

Canada, Mexico and the United States have agreed on a single North American standard for the import and export of cattle to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, according to Andy Mitchell, Canada's Minister of Agriculture.

The standard was negotiated in Mexico during recent trade meetings, reflects guidelines laid out by the World Organization for Animal Health and essentially holds that as long as specified risk materials (SRMs) are removed from all imported cattle at the time of slaughter, and that no cattle from herds that have experienced any cases of BSE are allowed to be exported, live cattle can move across borders without significant risk to consumers.

Mitchell called the accord, "a very important agreement between the three countries." Michell added that with the new standards in place, Canada will reopen its border to U.S. cattle effective today.

The agreement does not negate the lingering U.S. ban on Canadian cattle. Although the U.S. border was scheduled to reopen earlier in March, that move was barred due to an injunction by a Montana court.

Mexico has said that it will now begin a regulatory process that will lead to its acceptance of Canadian cattle. Canadian officials expect that process to take three to four months.


Have been waiting for comments on this but maybe it is not all that significant to the group!

 

[SASH]

Pretty sure the border has been open to US cattle for quite awhile.

 

[Silver]

It doesn't look much different than it did before, really.


Update to Import Restrictions - United States
Effective March 29, 2005, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has expanded access under its import regulations to allow for a range of U.S. animals and their products and by-products that have been prohibited since a case of BSE was detected in Washington State in December 2003.

Examples of prohibited commodities:

Live animals and genetic material

Animals of the sub-family Bovinae, such as cattle, bison, water buffalo and their exotic relatives, as well as animals of the species Capra hircus (domestic goats) and Ovis aries (domestic sheep).*
Meat products for human consumption

Meat products derived from animals of the sub-family Bovinae and from animals of the species Capra hircus and Ovis aries, as well as things containing such meat products.*
Miscellaneous animal products and by-products

Ingredients derived from ruminants for use in animal food and animal food containing those ingredients.*
Ingredients, other than manure, derived from ruminants to be used in fertilizer and fertilizer containing those ingredients.*
Specified risk material (SRM) from the animals of the family Bovinae (e.g. brain of cattle and bison).


Examples of exempted commodities:

Live animals and genetic material

Bucks, bulls and rams that are destined for animal semen production centres.*
Cattle imported for immediate slaughter.
Feeder calves (bob calves)*.
Animals for temporary stay (maximum of 30 days).*
In vivo derived embryos.*
Animals and things derived from them imported for medical use, scientific research or zoological collections.*
Sheep and goats under 12 months of age imported for immediate slaughter or feeding for slaughter.*
Cattle under 30 months of age imported for feeding for slaughter (restricted feeder cattle).*
Meat products for human consumption

Meat products of animals of the sub-family Bovinae younger than 30 months of age from which the distal ileum and tonsils have been removed.*
Meat products originating in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, Canada or Brazil that are eligible for importation into Canada and that are processed in the US.*
Edible and inedible beef liver.*
Goat and sheep meat products from animals younger than 12 months of age.*
Meat products originating in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, or Brazil that are in transit in the US and that are eligible for importation into Canada.*
Meat products that are kept on a ship as ships stores.
Meat products intended to be used for personal consumption (less than five kilograms in total).*
Milk and milk derivatives.
Meat products to be transported to a community in the United States where the only practical transportation route for the Meat products is either a land or water route through Canada as determined by the CFIA.*
Meat products to be transported non-stop in Canada and to be delivered to a cruise ship for use as ships' stores.*
Food containing meat products in insignificant quantity.

 

[Tam]

What a laugh the US makes an agreement with two foreign countries but they can't really guarantee it will stand as the R-CALF court case is stopping them from following through with it. To bad one little group can stop trade actions around the world with the U.S beef industry just to keep UTM Live Canadian cattle from coming across the border to be processed in U.S plants.