US Rep Introduces Bill To Keep Ban On Canada Cattle
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D, introduced legislation
Tuesday to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture from lifting the U.S. ban on
Canadian cattle because of the country's problems with bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease.
The USDA unveiled a new rule on Dec. 29 that would lift the U.S. ban on
Canadian cattle by March 7.
Pomeroy told Dow Jones Newswires that his bill would prohibit USDA from
allowing Canadian cattle across the border until the U.S. regains the major
foreign beef markets it lost because of a BSE case found here in a cow imported
from Canada.
"First we get our markets back and then we re-open the border," he said.
Pomeroy said it was too early to tell what kind of support the bill would
receive.
USDA announced the Washington state BSE case in December 2003, and officials
said the cow was born and likely infected in Canada before it was exported to
the U.S.
"One Canadian cow that had been brought into the United States ... cost us
markets all across the globe," Pomeroy said."
USDA's latest estimate for 2004 beef exports is 444 million pounds, far below
the 2.5 billion pounds the U.S. exported in 2003.
The USDA has made progress in re-establishing U.S. beef exports to Japan,
traditionally the largest foreign buyer, while Canadian cattle have been banned
from the U.S., the congressman said. But deals have not yet been reached with
Japan and other major beef importers such as South Korea and Taiwan, he said.
By allowing in cattle from Canada - which just confirmed another BSE finding
Sunday - USDA will find itself needing to prove to Japan and other countries
that Canadian beef is also safe, Pomeroy said.
"Suddenly we reintegrate with Canada and we've got to prove two systems, ours
and Canada's," the congressman said. "It doubles our burden of proof."
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D, introduced legislation
Tuesday to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture from lifting the U.S. ban on
Canadian cattle because of the country's problems with bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease.
The USDA unveiled a new rule on Dec. 29 that would lift the U.S. ban on
Canadian cattle by March 7.
Pomeroy told Dow Jones Newswires that his bill would prohibit USDA from
allowing Canadian cattle across the border until the U.S. regains the major
foreign beef markets it lost because of a BSE case found here in a cow imported
from Canada.
"First we get our markets back and then we re-open the border," he said.
Pomeroy said it was too early to tell what kind of support the bill would
receive.
USDA announced the Washington state BSE case in December 2003, and officials
said the cow was born and likely infected in Canada before it was exported to
the U.S.
"One Canadian cow that had been brought into the United States ... cost us
markets all across the globe," Pomeroy said."
USDA's latest estimate for 2004 beef exports is 444 million pounds, far below
the 2.5 billion pounds the U.S. exported in 2003.
The USDA has made progress in re-establishing U.S. beef exports to Japan,
traditionally the largest foreign buyer, while Canadian cattle have been banned
from the U.S., the congressman said. But deals have not yet been reached with
Japan and other major beef importers such as South Korea and Taiwan, he said.
By allowing in cattle from Canada - which just confirmed another BSE finding
Sunday - USDA will find itself needing to prove to Japan and other countries
that Canadian beef is also safe, Pomeroy said.
"Suddenly we reintegrate with Canada and we've got to prove two systems, ours
and Canada's," the congressman said. "It doubles our burden of proof."
Comment