A
Anonymous
Guest
WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - A federal judge rejected a
request from U.S. meatpackers to fully open the U.S. border to
beef and live cattle from Canada, dealing another blow to trade
that has been interrupted since Canada's first domestic case of
mad cow disease in May 2003.
The clerk's office for the U.S. District Court in
Washington said on Monday that Judge John Penn issued a brief
order on Friday.
A lengthier explanation of Penn's findings will be issued
in the near future, according to the clerk's office.
The American Meat Institute (AMI) asked the judge to issue
a preliminary injunction against the U.S. Agriculture
Department's 2003 trade ban stemming from Canada's outbreak of
mad cow disease.
The AMI argued for a full opening of the border to trade,
especially the resumption of imports of live Canadian cattle
over 30 months of age. Some meatpacking plants in the U.S. have
traditionally relied on Canadian cattle for some of their
supply.
The U.S. border was to have reopened on Monday to imports
of live cattle from Canada under 30-months-old.
But in a separate lawsuit, a federal judge in Montana last
week temporarily blocked USDA's rule easing the ban on Canadian
cattle under 30-months-old. R-CALF USA, a rancher group, wants
to keep the U.S. border closed to Canadian cattle and beef as
well as stop Canada's current exports of boxed beef from
younger cattle.
A USDA spokesman on Monday said the Bush administration was
still weighing whether to appeal the Montana judge's ruling.
When AMI filed its lawsuit in federal court in Washington,
D.C., a few months ago, it sought to expand USDA's rule to
allow imports of all cattle from Canada regardless of age.
Meatpackers contend they have lost billions of dollars and have
been forced to shutter some plants because of the lack of
cattle to keep plants running efficiently.
request from U.S. meatpackers to fully open the U.S. border to
beef and live cattle from Canada, dealing another blow to trade
that has been interrupted since Canada's first domestic case of
mad cow disease in May 2003.
The clerk's office for the U.S. District Court in
Washington said on Monday that Judge John Penn issued a brief
order on Friday.
A lengthier explanation of Penn's findings will be issued
in the near future, according to the clerk's office.
The American Meat Institute (AMI) asked the judge to issue
a preliminary injunction against the U.S. Agriculture
Department's 2003 trade ban stemming from Canada's outbreak of
mad cow disease.
The AMI argued for a full opening of the border to trade,
especially the resumption of imports of live Canadian cattle
over 30 months of age. Some meatpacking plants in the U.S. have
traditionally relied on Canadian cattle for some of their
supply.
The U.S. border was to have reopened on Monday to imports
of live cattle from Canada under 30-months-old.
But in a separate lawsuit, a federal judge in Montana last
week temporarily blocked USDA's rule easing the ban on Canadian
cattle under 30-months-old. R-CALF USA, a rancher group, wants
to keep the U.S. border closed to Canadian cattle and beef as
well as stop Canada's current exports of boxed beef from
younger cattle.
A USDA spokesman on Monday said the Bush administration was
still weighing whether to appeal the Montana judge's ruling.
When AMI filed its lawsuit in federal court in Washington,
D.C., a few months ago, it sought to expand USDA's rule to
allow imports of all cattle from Canada regardless of age.
Meatpackers contend they have lost billions of dollars and have
been forced to shutter some plants because of the lack of
cattle to keep plants running efficiently.
