U.S. streamlines BSE international trade policies

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Published: November 8, 2013

The United States has published a new rule that streamlines its BSE trade policies and brings it in line with international guidelines.

“It doesn’t create the access in and of itself, but it clears the way of an impediment,” said John Masswohl of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

Canada received special access using made-in-the-U.S. specifications in 2005 to allow borders to open on a limited basis after BSE was found in 2003. However, the U.S. had to reform its rules when the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) changed its BSE classification system from five categories to the three of controlled, minimal and undetermined risk.

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“The current U.S. regulations with regard to the importation of live bovines and bovine products are not consistent with the OIE guidelines,” said a statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This rule would demonstrate to the international community the commitment of the United States to base its BSE regulations on internationally accepted scientific literature.”

The rule also addresses a court case filed by R-CALF in 2008, in which a South Dakota judge ruled the USDA had to rewrite some of the rule regarding beef from cattle older than 30 months. The U.S. had agreed to allow more open trade in 2007.

“This rule is now the end of that judge’s order. USDA rolled that rulemaking into this global rule,” Masswohl said.

The rule also eases trade deals with the European Union.

Nearly all members of the EU have controlled risk or negligible status, but it was not recognized and the U.S. did not import beef from them. If Canada imported European beef, it would jeopardize its trade relations with the U.S.

“This paves the way for Canada and the U.S. to co-ordinate on recognizing the status of other controlled and negligible risk countries,” he said.

R-CALF said the rule allows American packers to supplement tight beef supplies with cheaper meat from Europe, where some BSE cases are still found. American consumers are at risk if BSE persists in Europe, it added, which is further reason for maintaining a strict country-of-origin labelling law so that people can avoid buying meat from at-risk countries.

“This irresponsible action by USDA underscores the need for country-of-origin labelling, which is presently under attack by meat packers and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in the federal court system, by members of Congress in the 2013 farm bill, and by foreign countries at the World Trade Organization,” said an R-CALF statement.

The rule goes into effect 90 days after publication. More information can be found on the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services website at www.aphis.usda.gov.

About the author

Barbara Duckworth

Barbara Duckworth

Barbara Duckworth has covered many livestock shows and conferences across the continent since 1988. Duckworth had graduated from Lethbridge College’s journalism program in 1974, later earning a degree in communications from the University of Calgary. Duckworth won many awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Association, American Agricultural Editors Association, the North American Agricultural Journalists and the International Agriculture Journalists Association.

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