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Rule
#2 Announced by the USDA
For
Immediate Release: September 14, 2007
Calgary
,
AB
– The
Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) is pleased that
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
announced that the final minimal-risk rule (“Rule
2”) will be published next week, for implementation
following the mandatory 60 day waiting period.
The
rule will be published on September 18 to come into
effect on November 19, 2007. It will allow for the
export of any live animal – breeding or for slaughter
– born on or after March 1, 1999 and beef products of
any age to the
United States
. This effectively covers most cattle and beef products
not included in the first rule implemented in 2005.
“We’re
pleased to hear this. It brings us a lot closer to full
normalization of trade,” says
Hugh Lynch-Staunton
, CCA president. “We are currently reviewing the
final rule and we agree with the USDA’s assessment
that there is negligible risk associated with the
resumption of trade for these products. It is in line
with the science-based, international standards of the
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and it
demonstrates what we’ve known all along - that
Canadian cattle and beef should be able to be exported
to the
United States
and to the rest of the world.”
“This
is good news for our industry.
Canada
is committed to following the OIE’s international
guidelines and this sends a positive message to the rest
of the world that the
United States
is committed to these same standards. We believe that
all of our trading partners should be abiding by these
science-based guidelines to trade,” states
Lynch-Staunton.
The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) submitted
Rule 2 to the OMB for review on November 24, 2006.
It was then moved from the OMB on December 29, 2006 to
be published in the Federal Register for a public
comment period that began on January 9, 2007 and ended
on March 12, 2007. The USDA then reviewed the
approximately 400 comments and submitted it to the OMB
for final approval on August 2, 2007.
The
Canadian beef industry remains committed to meeting the
domestic and international animal health and food safety
requirements. It has a number of multi-layered
safeguards in place to ensure food and animal safety and
recently implemented an enhanced feed ban to accelerate
the eradication of BSE in the Canadian herd.
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