U.S. to Keep Some Restrictions on Imports of Canadian Cattle

The Agriculture Department will not allow meat from older cattle when it expands U.S. imports of Canadian beef March 7, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Wednesday.

The United States had been planning on that date to reopen the border for the importing of meat from animals of any age and for the importing of live cattle younger than 30 months.

Johanns has instead extended the existing ban on importing older beef. The ban on bringing in older cattle also will remain in force.

Two new cases of mad cow disease turned up last month in Canada after the Bush administration decided to reopen the border, and U.S. cattlemen are suing to stop trade from expanding.

Lawmakers and Johanns questioned whether it would have been contradictory to allow meat, but not live cattle, from older animals, which were considered more vulnerable to mad cow disease. U.S. meatpackers worried it would flood their market with cheaper Canadian cuts of beef.

“Our ongoing investigations into the recent finds of [mad cow disease] in Canada in animals over 30 months are not complete,” Johanns said in a statement. “Therefore, I feel it is prudent to delay the effective date for allowing imports of meat from animals 30 months and over.”