U.S. To Reopen Border To Canadian Cattle

There will likely be a 30- to 60-day period for organizations to comment on the ruling. If there are objections, it could be months before Canadian cattle head south.

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control, which monitors the threat to American consumers, is satisfied with the scientific evidence indicating there is no further or immediate threat to the supply of beef.

Federal Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief would not confirm the report, saying he doesn't know when the U.S. plans to lift the ban. He said he called U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman when he heard media reports, but she couldn't provide any further details.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association calls the report "premature." The group doesn't believe live cattle will be exported until early next year, according to a release.

Washington closed its border to Canadian beef in May after a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in a cow.

The U.S. and Mexico agreed in early August to begin accepting boneless cuts of meat from animals younger than 30 months, but still refused shipments of live animals. It's accepted that BSE takes more than four years to develop in an animal, meaning younger cows are not at risk.

The Canadian cattle industry has estimated the ban has cost it about $11 million a day.

Note: Source: CBC News