031101 Japan Asks USA to Ban Export of Canadian Beef

CTV.ca News Staff - Just days after the U.S. said it was ready to reopen its borders to Canadian beef, Japan wants assurances it won't get any of it. Tokyo wants the U.S. to certify that no Canadian beef enters into the Japan food supply.

Japan's agriculture minister will ask American officials to ban Canadian beef that is coming through the U.S. bound for Japan because of concerns about mad cow disease.

The Japanese request comes in response to the American intention to start importing veal from Canada early next year. On Friday, the U.S. said it wants to change regulations to allow live cattle under 30 months to be imported from countries where there have been mad cow cases.

Cattle under 30 months are not believed to develop the disease, which has been linked to the brain- wasting Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease in humans.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it has started a 60-day comment period. Based on input received, the USDA could amend, change or ditch the proposal to allow Canadian cattle in.

Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief says that means the market could re-open soon, "if everything goes well."

Both the U.S. and Japan and dozens of other countries closed their borders to Canadian cattle and beef products after a single animal was diagnosed with mad cow disease in Alberta last May.

The U.S. has imported boneless cuts of Canadian beef from young cattle since early September, but 70 per cent of trade is in live animals.

The five-month crisis has cost Canadian cattle producers an estimated $330 million per month.

Over the weekend came good news for Canada's beef industry. Canadian cattle producers are going to get more government help to the tune of about $100 million.

Vanclief says Ottawa is "very close" to rolling out a package designed to address the needs of cattle producers stuck with growing herds of cattle over 30 months of age. He says the groundwork for an aid package has already been laid.

"We are working on a program with the provinces, and we discussed it with the beef industry, and I'm confident that in the not too distant future we will be announcing some support there," Vanclief told CTV's Question Period.

The minister said the plan is designed to offer beef producers compensation to encourage a cull of their herds.

"All of the process isn't completed yet, but we're very close," the minister said of the reportedly $100 million package.

"The federal government will participate at 60 per cent and the provinces 40 per cent. And certainly my indication has been clearly that the provinces ... they will be there."

As for Japan's continuing refusal to import Canadian beef, and insistence that American sources segregate Canadian meat, Vanclief expects little change.

"The Japanese have asked the Americans to have a verification program to certify that the beef going from the United States is U.S. and not Canadian," Vanclief said.

"I don't foresee that changing in the near future."

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com