U.S. court blocks Canadian cattle

[CHIMO]

BILLINGS, MONT. - A judge in Montana has granted a temporary injunction to stop the U.S. government from reopening the border next week to Canadian cattle.

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA), which claims if the border reopens it will cause producers immediate and irreparable damage.

"It's definitely not a good day for our industry," said Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation, adding that it may be time to start investigating Canada's options under the World Trade Agreement or the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"We will use every possible measure we can to get the border reopened again," Peterson said. "We received assurances the border would be open March 7, we agreed it would be a science-based determination, and the Americans came up and inspected all the processes and found them to be the highest standard.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/03/02/rcalf050302.html

[Dave Reynolds]

1. Punishment

for not signing on to star wars.

[Maple]

3. Nah...

American farmers currently have a monopoly on beef sales.

Why would they want to give that up and allow imports?

I doubt any of them even know, or care, about our missile non-involvement.

[Dave Reynolds]

5. Honestly,

with the rate of prion testing here, I think I would prefer Canadian beef.

You're probably right about the monopoly angle, though.

[jdj]

32. I doubt it.

um, the "Cattlemen" are repuke thugs, and Bush is calling in a favor which I am sure they are more than happy to oblige.

[cliss]

22. I read the thread title, and I

thought the same thing.

The Bush administration is retaliating for the Canadian decision not to participate in the defence treaty.

[BornaDem]

2. I'm glad some judge has issued an injunction...

I thought it was insanity and begging for trouble for our gov't to open the border and allow importation of cattle from Canada again when they have just discovered more cases of Mad Cow. I hope they re-think this policy as it could very well destroy our beef industry.

[Maple]

4. Mad cow is rife in the US beef industry

They just have a different policy than Canada's announcing of any such discoveries.

US policy is 'shoot,shovel and shut up'

[BornaDem]

8. You may be correct, but if you're not...

it is a suicidal policy for our beef industry.

[Maple]

16. Oh I'm correct

and as a point for you to ponder.... the only cattle found in Canada with the problem were American cattle.

[AlCzervik]

19. Really? Thats good to know. Good meaning useful.

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. "no meat from the animals entered the human food system"

.
.
.

That means our system works

AND our gov't is open about any cases, ongoing or closed

The US FDA is not that open, and I believe there are cases where infected beef HAS entered the USA's food chain and not from Canuk Cattle

Anyhoo, I hope the US DOES cut off our beef exports permanently to the US.

It will force the Western Provinces to market elsewhere, and start to realise that their "love-affair" with the United States is over.

Cuba, China, Japan, and Mexico are some of the countries actively pursuing our beef, so the Americans had better get used to their inflated prices while we market elsewhere.

The Subject quote is from the following link:



The above link also has links to ALL the cases that have been studied, as well as further links to import/export policies.

Another interesting read includes the following:

Feed Ban Review

March 2, 2005
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


"After the two latest cases of BSE had been confirmed in January 2005, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) undertook a review of the feed ban to determine whether this important safeguard has been providing an appropriate level of animal health protection since its inception.

The month-long review that concluded on February 18, 2005, examined the design of the feed ban, the CFIA’s approach to implementing and enforcing the ban’s requirements, and compliance levels at rendering facilities and feed mills. The review included examining inspection reports, regulatory documents and risk assessments; and conducting interviews and on-site inspections of feed mills and rendering facilities.

The ban was designed in accordance with international guidelines and drew from science and the most current understanding of BSE available at the time. Canadian officials consulted domestic and international stakeholders to develop regulations that could be implemented, and would be enforceable and effective. The United States’ feed measures, also introduced in 1997, are almost identical to Canada’s ban."

MORE

[achtung_circus]

15. Good post nt.

[Maple]

17. I agree

Big world...lots of markets.

Let the Americans eat pricy meat from a monopoly.

Our clean healthy meat can be sold elsewhere.

[Hand]

30. Yep. And so can our oil and gas... nt

[Hoping4Change]

33. Do you what the status is on setting up a Canadian meat packing

industry? I had heard that all the meat packing was done by American owned plants and its those American packing houses that have been lobbying hard for the border to open. I remember hearing talk that if they were meat packing plants in Canda farmers would be alot better off.

[MrPrax]

21. I hope so too...

The US action is not very smart in the long-term. Canadian beef will eventually be back in their market. However long it takes, it is just more time for Canada to develop an competitive packing/processing industry at home and for export.

This will be the inevitable problem for the US softwood industry when that dispute is finally sorted out--the Canadian industry suffering under a severely tariff burdened market was forced to become even leaner and more competitive. If American softwood producers thought it was a rough ride before, watch out when the WTO finally puts an end to it.

The real problem is that the US is doing this with many many countries and in many many industries--they really are killing themselves in the long term.

[Spazito]

31. You are right on point, imo

That is the crux of the issue. Canada is already seeking out new markets, developing our own base in packaging/processing, medical research, etc.

There seems to be a belief by the bush admin that the US is the ONLY market and, by their own actions, are actually causing Canada to do what we should have done long ago, reduce our dependence on exports to the US. We became dependent out of convenience not necessity, imo.

[CHIMO]

13. Just A Note

That Japan agrees that the Canadian inspection policy is good. Should the US feel that it is not good enough for US consumers, then expect Japan to come back and tell the US that they have to make their system better than Canada to export to Japan.

Canada will launch a WTO and NAFTA suit if the borders are not opened as planned on Mar. 7, 2005 as they have met all US requirements.

Some US packing houses are on temporary closure as there is not enough beef to keep them open. Should the border not open on Mar. 7, 2005 then these packing houses will look at a permenent closure and the temporary shortage in beef would become a built in structural shortage.

[napi21]

6. Do you realize thins is why Steaks cost you $9.00 a lb?

I have nothing against the US cattlemen. They work hard and earn every $$$ they get. But the closing of the borders has run it's course. There's nothing more wrong in Canada than in the US.

I think they've gotten used to the nice pricing, and just don't want to go back to what was reasonable to the consumer.

[murray hill farm]

7. Oh cool...another bully technique by the USA

but it will backfire....hey...Mexico will buy the beef..Cuba will buy the beef...China will buy the beef...and on and on...Bush will never learn that he can continue to bully if he wants....but the rest of the world will just call his bluff...from now into the future...when he discovers that...hey...wheres the beef...and...then he has to crawl to Canada...and beg them to sell beef to the USA again...but...well...then Canada has new established markets for all of its beef.

[norml]

9. If we lift the ban on Canada beef, they put a ban on selling drugs to US

consumers. It's part of the deal, that we lift the ban. US meat packers want the ban lifted, so that they can buy cheaper cattle to process. We're promising Japan that we won't sell any of the Canadian beef that we bring in to them. All this after several more cases of Mad Cow Disease turned up in Canada just last Month.

[ElectroPrincess]

12. Whoa! You don't say? "more cases of Mad Cow in Canada"!!!

Time to "eat more chicken" and/or boca (soy) burger products. :-)

[norml]

18. Canadian cattle deemed safe despite new mad cow cases

February 28, 2005



Canadian cattle deemed safe despite new mad cow cases
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Cattle from Canada are safe for shipment to the United States, despite two new Canadian cases of mad cow disease, Agriculture Department investigators said Friday.

A team of experts traveled to Canada last month after two cows in Alberta tested positive for mad cow disease. The results of their investigation affirm that reopening U.S. borders on March 7 poses "virtually no risk to human or animal health," said Ron DeHaven, administrator of the department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

U.S. borders have been closed since Canada’s first case of mad cow disease in May 2003.

Only cattle younger than 30 months old will be allowed into the United States from Canada. That is because the level of infection is believed to rise with age.

snip http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0228/biz/stories/03biz.htm

[ElectroPrincess]

11. Oh yeah, and I wonder if this might be somewhat remotely connected

to the fact that Canada doesn't want any part of our Missile Defense Program. Could this be a little stick? Tit for tat ... Agree to Missile Defense Canada, and we'll let you import your Moo-moos?

[achtung_circus]

14. Nah,

it's all R-CALF, a wingnut bunch of nutbars. They are raking in the profits from reduced beef supply in the US since the border closure.

[ElectroPrincess]

20. Thanks for the information ...

You're a smart little piggy, I bet you're related to Arnold Ziffel. LOL

On topic: Your explanation makes much more sense than the rationale I pulled out of ... er the air. Tks again.

[Moderator]

23. kick to combine threads

[doxieone]

24. US Ban on Canadian Beef is Extended (At least 10 days)

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/stories/s1315078.htm

US ban on Canadian beef extended



The ban on Canadian cattle exports to the US has been extended, after a US Federal Court injunction.

R-CALF - United Stockgrowers of America sought to block the trade, saying it posed a risk to consumers and cattle producers.

The trade closed nearly two years ago after a case of mad cow disease, and had been due to re-open next Monday.

Jim McAdams from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the injunction will delay the opening for another 10 days, and most people in the livestock industry don't support the court action.


(SNIP)

[doxieone]

25. That will teach them to go against Georgie/Condi!

[Canuckistanian]

26. Damned activist Judges

They're over-ruling decisions of the democratically elected representatives!

[gWbush is Mabus]

27. no MISSILE SHIELD, NO BEEF

[Spazito]

28. I don't think they really want to go there...

cause then it would be no beef, no gas, oil and water. After that, the US would say no oil, gas and water, no ? and we would be into a full blown trade war.

[Spazito]

29. Now the US Senate has gotten into this as well...

U.S. Senate votes against reopening border to Canadian cattle

WASHINGTON - Canada's cattle industry suffered another blow Thursday after American senators voted to quash the U.S. department of agriculture's policy to reopen the border to Canadian beef next week.

Despite the Senate's 52-46 vote, the White House said U.S. President George W. Bush would veto the measure if it ever reaches his desk. Bush favours the reopening of the border.

The U.S. banned Canadian cattle imports in May 2003 when mad cow disease was discovered in a Canadian cow.

The Senate vote follows Wednesday's ruling by U.S. district Judge Richard Cebull. He granted an American beef lobby group an injunction to stop the resumption of imports of Canadian cows under 30 months of age.

more

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/03/03/senate-madcow050303.html