US to disallow imports of Canadian beef from older cattle

11/02/05 The United States, The Bush administration on has said it will withdraw a plan to allow imports of Canadian beef from older cattle starting on March 7, bowing to U.S. meatpackers' complaints.

However, on that date the border will still reopen to live Canadian cattle under 30 months of age, which are viewed as unlikely to carry mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). All Canadian cattle have been banned for import since May 2003, following the discovery of Canada's first domestic case of mad cow disease.

USDA's reversal on imports of beef from older Canadian cattle came after a spirited lobbying campaign by American meatpackers. They complained the plan would have increased the flow of cheap Canadian beef at a time when U.S. plants were shutting down due to a shortage of live cattle.

Complicating matters was Canada's discovery of two more cases of mad cow disease around the time the U.S. government unveiled its plan to ease trade restrictions.

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