041108 Cellucci Says U.S. Likely to Resume Canadian Beef

Toronto, ON - Although it's unclear whom Prime Minister Paul Martin will be dealing with at the White House, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada says he's confident the American border will re-open to Canadian beef.

"There will continue to be some opposition in the United States, but I think there's light at the end of the tunnel on opening that border for Canadian beef," Paul Cellucci, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, said on Canada AM.

In the meantime, the two countries will continue to operate their shared border as normal.

"Certainly the day-to-day stuff between Canada and the United States continues," Cellucci said. "I think on some of these larger issues, we should get back to the negotiating table."

He mentioned that U.S. President Bush and the U.S. Department of Agriculture "support a role that will open up the border for live cattle trade."

That's good news for Canadian cattle farmers who have been struggling since a single case of BSE was discovered in an Alberta cow in May 2003. The U.S. Announced it was closing its border to Canadian beef days later, virtually paralyzing Canada's beef industry.

Cellucci noted that one of the people who strongly opposed the re-opening of the American border to Canadian beef -- former Democratic Senator and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle -- lost his re-election race in South Dakota.

But some observers doubt U.S. officials will make this country's needs a priority. "I think what we have to keep in mind here is that Canada is a pretty small blip on the radar screen of the American government," said University of Lethbridge sociologist Trevor Harrison. "They have far more pressing issues to deal with."

Harrison also says that because of lobbying in the U.S. against the border re- opening, he thinks it'll be a "fairly slow process. It doesn't matter which candidate is elected," he says.

While Canadians wait for official American election results almost as eagerly as their American neighbours, Cellucci says the relationship between Canada and the U.S. remains "quite sound."

"It's in each of our national interests to work together. That's exactly what we will continue to do," he added.

When it comes to Canada's support of the U.S. missile defence program, Cellucci says the U.S. will take things one step at a time.

"We think it would be a good thing if Canada supported missile defence, but it's certainly not a deal breaker," Cellucci said. "That's a decision for Canada."

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