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Canadian Cattle to
begin moving to U.S. on March 7
(December 29, 2004) The rule to once again allow imports of
live Canadian cattle and all beef products into the U.S. from Canada and
other regions at minimal risk for BSE took a major step forward today
with the announcement by the United States Department of Agriculture
that the rule will be published in the U.S. Federal Register on January
4, to become effective on March 7. This means live cattle under 30
months for feeding and for immediate slaughter and all beef products
will be eligible for export beginning March 7.
Todays announcement by the United States Department of Agriculture has
been a long time coming and is the result of a tremendous amount of work
that has taken place on both sides of the border, says Stan Eby ,
president of the Canadian Cattlemen s Association (CCA). Canada s
cattle producers are delighted. This announcement will put confidence
into the live cattle market in Canada . Getting slaughter cattle back
moving to the U.S. will help relieve the bottleneck at the packing
plants that has been the main reason for depressed cattle prices in
Canada .
The cattle industry continues to recognize the need to expand slaughter
capacity in Canada and CCA remains committed to finding solutions to
this issue. We will also continue to work on regaining access for all
categories of live cattle, including breeding cattle, so we may have
totally unrestricted trade within North America . Were also committed
to regaining and expanding markets for Canadian beef around the world.
We expect that many other markets will follow the lead of the United
States and adopt similar science-based measures.
The rule as published is over 500 pages and will take time to completely
review. The CCA will be undertaking this review over the next several
days.
A media scrum will be held at 2:45 PM Mountain Standard Time in the
lobby of the Canadian Cattlemen s Association office building, 6715 8th
Street NE , Calgary , Alberta .
For further information:
Canadian Cattlemen s Association 403-275-8558
With the end of the economic crisis for Canadian beef cattle
producers potentially in sight, news of the disaster that is continuing
to unfold in the Indian Ocean region puts the issues of the Canadian
beef industry into perspective. The Canadian Cattlemen s Association
would like to remind Canadian s that the toll free phone number to
donate to Red Cross disaster relief efforts is 1-800-418-1111.
Backgrounder from the United States Department of Agriculture
Further to todays announcement of re-opening of the border on March
7, the complete rule (over 500 pages) and additional information is
available on the USDA APHIS website:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/
Final Rule on BSE and Minimal-Risk Regions
December 2004
Veterinary Services
On Jan. 4, 2005, after a careful and thorough science-based risk
assessment and a comprehensive rulemaking process, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule amending its regulations to
provide for the importation of certain ruminants, ruminant products and
byproducts from regions that pose a minimal risk of introducing bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United States. The rule
establishes criteria for regions to be recognized as presenting minimal
risk of introducing BSE into the United States . This rule ensures the
continued protection of the U.S. food and feed supply from BSE, while
removing unnecessary prohibitions on the importation of certain
commodities from minimal-risk regions.
A minimal-risk region could include:
A region in which BSE-infected animals have been diagnosed, but
sufficient regulatory measures have been put in place that would make
the introduction of BSE into the United State unlikely; or
A region that has taken effective regulatory measures to prevent BSE,
has never detected the disease, but cannot be considered BSE free.
By establishing criteria for minimal-risk regions, the United States
has taken a leadership role in fostering trade of low-risk products with
countries that have a low incidence of BSE and historically strong risk
mitigation measures. Such a move is consistent with the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommendations for the trade in
animals and animal products from BSE-affected countries.
Classification of Canada as Minimal-Risk Region
In addition to defining the standards for minimal-risk regions, this
rule places Canada in the minimal-risk category and defines the
requirements that must be met to allow the import of certain ruminants
and ruminant products from Canada .
USDA conducted a thorough risk analysis to evaluate the risk of resuming
the importation of Canadian ruminants and ruminant products in view of
the two BSE cases of Canadian origin. This risk analysis included
careful consideration of the risk mitigation measures Canada has in
place to detect and prevent BSE within Canadian cattle and also the risk
mitigation measures imposed in this final rule. USDA determined that
allowing the importation of certain Canadian ruminants and ruminant
products under the conditions imposed by the rule will continue to
protect against introducing additional cases of BSE into the United
States .
USDA has determined that Canada meets the requirements for a
minimal-risk region. The minimal-risk standards that Canada has met
include, among other things:
Import restrictions sufficient to minimize exposure to BSE. Since
1990, Canada has maintained stringent import restrictions preventing the
entry of live ruminants and ruminant products, including rendered
protein products, from countries that have found BSE in native cattle or
that are considered to be at significant risk for BSE.
Surveillance for BSE at levels that meet or exceed international
guidelines. Canada has conducted active surveillance for BSE since 1992
and exceeded the level recommended in international guidelines for at
least the past seven years.
Ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban in place and effectively enforced.
Canada has had a ban on the feeding of ruminant proteins to ruminants
since August 1997, with compliance monitored through routine
inspections.
Appropriate epidemiological investigations, risk assessment, and risk
mitigation measures imposed as necessary. Canada has conducted extensive
investigations of BSE cases and has taken additional risk mitigation
measures in response to these cases. These risk mitigation measures
include among others, prohibiting specified risk materials in human
food.
Commodities Eligible for Import from Canada
The final rule is effective March 7, 2005. Certain live ruminants and
ruminant products and byproducts are eligible for importation from
Canada as of that date under specified conditions. The following
commodities are allowed to be imported as long as they meet applicable
criteria specified in the regulations:
Bovines, for feeding or immediate slaughter, as long as they are
slaughtered at less than 30 months;
Sheep and goats (ovines and caprines), for feeding or immediate
slaughter, as long as they are slaughtered at less than 12 months of
age;
Meat from bovines, ovines, caprines and cervids (deer, elk, caribou,
moose, and reindeer); and
Certain other products and byproducts, including bovine livers and
tongues, gelatin, and tallow.
USDA is also specifying that there are no import restrictions because
of BSE for live cervids or camelids (i.e., llamas, alpacas, guanacos and
vicunas) from a BSE-minimal risk region.
Additional Requirements for Canadian Imports
USDA is confident that the animal and public health measures that Canada
has in place to prevent BSE, combined with existing U.S. domestic
safeguards and additional safeguards provided in the final rule provide
the utmost protections to U.S. consumers and livestock. The final rule
provides the following additional requirements for live Canadian feeder
cattle designed to ensure they are slaughtered before they reach 30
months of age:
Feeder cattle must be permanently marked with a brand to identify the
BSE minimal-risk region of origin before entering the United States .
Feeder cattle exported from Canada will be branded with "C/\N;"
Cattle must be individually identified with an ear tag before entering
the United States . This ear tag allows the animal to be traced back to
the premises of origin (birth herd);
Information must be included on the cattle's animal health
certification, relating to animal identification, origin, destination,
and responsible parties;
Cattle must be moved to feedlots in sealed containers and cannot go to
more than one feedlot; and
SRM's will be removed from Canadian cattle slaughtered in the United
States in accordance with FSIS regulations.
The final rule provides the following additional requirements for
live Canadian sheep and goats designed to ensure they are slaughtered
before they reach 12 months of age:
Sheep and goats must be permanently marked with a brand to identify
the BSE minimal-risk region of origin before entering the United States
. Sheep and goats exported from Canada will be branded with a "C;"
Sheep and goats must be individually identified with an ear tag before
entering the United States . This ear tag allows the animal to be traced
back to the premises of origin;
Information must be included on the sheep's and goat's animal health
certification, relating to animal identification, origin, destination,
and responsible parties;
Sheep and goats must be moved to feedlots in sealed containers and
cannot go to more than one feedlot.
USDA first proposed changes to its regulations regarding establishing
minimal-risk regions and conditions for safely importing live ruminants
and ruminant products from such regions on November 4, 2003, and the
comment period was still under way when the United States announced its
first case of BSE on December 23, 2003. To allow additional time for
commenters to evaluate the proposal in the context of the first U.S.
finding of the disease, USDA reopened the comment period and accepted
comments until April 7, 2004.
Other countries or regions that meet the minimal-risk conditions will be
considered in the future. The designation of any future countries as
minimal-risk regions will be accomplished through rulemaking procedures
following completion of an appropriate risk assessment.
Economic Impact
Prior to detection of BSE in Canada in May 2003, the United States
and Canada engaged in significant trade in feeder cattle and slaughter
cattle. This rule will reestablish mutually beneficial trade in live
animals between the two countries. Because the United States has
permitted imports from Canada of boneless beef from animals less than 30
months of age since mid-2003, this rule is expected to have little
impact on U.S. beef imports.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDAνs TARGET Center at
(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office
of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building , 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW , Washington , DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice
and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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