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USDA remains committed to reopening the Canadian border to live cattle trade for cattle under 30 months of age on March 7, USDA Secretary Mike Johanns told members of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association at their annual meeting Feb. 4 in San Antonio.
However, on Feb. 9, the newly appointed ag secretary said USDA will not allow meat from older cattle when it expands U.S. imports from Canada on March 7.
The United States had been planning to allow meat from animals of any age and from live cattle younger than 30 months. The age limit will now apply to beef as well as live cattle.
Johanns stressed at the NCBA meeting the need for trade and the importance of basing that on "the international language of science. ...We also know that opening the markets that are currently closed will more than offset the impact of imports from Canada," he said. "Devastating trade is devastating to agriculture."
Johanns said he will continue to push Japan for a specific date on which they will resume trade.
Japan, in fact, moved one step closer to again accepting U.S. beef as technical experts agreed to endorse a grading system for U.S. cattle that was developed to determine the age of slaughtered animals.
According to the Agriculture Department, the action resolves outstanding technical issues that have held up resumption of U.S. beef trade with Japan.
However, trade is not expected to resume immediately. Johanns said the announcement is an "important step" towards resolving the issue, and called on the Japanese to expedite reopening the country's market to U.S. beef.
Sales of U.S. beef to Japan totaled more than $1.7 billion in 2003, prior to the implementation of the shipping ban.
