U.S. border to open to live cattle, but beef products still restricted
 

(Note: Where are the rights of Americans to eat healthy beef with no BSE from Canada to taint it or truly endanger their lives? Where is the choice of Americans to keep our borders CLOSED to all health hazards? Ask these guys; they are pretending like there's no problem.)
 
February 9, 2005
 

CBC (no author provided at originating website)
 
Washington, D.C. - The United States will reopen its border to young live Canadian cattle as planned on March 7, but will delay resuming trade in beef products from older animals. 
 
 
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns confirmed Wednesday that he will lift the ban on imports of animals younger than 30 months of age, considered a low risk for contracting mad cow disease. 
 
 
 
 
 
He's holding off on allowing shipments of products made from older animals, however. 
 
"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 after meeting with Canadian officials in Washington. 
 
"Therefore, I feel it is prudent to delay the effective date for allowing imports of meat from animals 30 months and over." 
 
Johanns promised to have U.S. officials speed through a plan to allow imports of older animals and products made from older animals "as the next step in resuming full trade with Canada." 
 

From February 3, 2005: U.S. still intends to reopen border to beef 
 
The decision comes despite efforts by some U.S. ranchers and senators to keep the full ban in place after two new cases of mad cow disease were confirmed in Alberta in January.
 
 
 
Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell met with his U.S. counterpart in Washington Wednesday. http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/pix/mitchell_andy050209.jpg
 
The border was closed to cattle and many meat products after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, was discovered in Alberta in 2003. 
 
The United States has since allowed in boxed beef products from animals younger than 30 months and had said in late December that it would reopen the border to young cattle and products from older animals in March. 
 
Legal challenges launched by some U.S. ranchers and meatpackers could still keep the border closed – as could the discovery of another case of BSE in the Canadian herd. 
 
Yet Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell, who met with Johanns in Washington Wednesday, seemed confident that the border would reopen as planned. 
 
"Secretary Johanns indicated quite clearly that they continue to work towards the March 7 deadline," he said.
 
Copyright 2005, CBC.