Trade Harmonization Now!

Fully restoring the North American cattle and beef trade following BSE detections in the United States and Canada will require these two countries and Mexico to step up efforts to harmonize beef trading rules.

That is the conclusion of the American Meat Institute and five other North American meat industry groups.

Leaders of the six groups cosigned a letter to cabinet-level ministers of all three countries commending their governments for their initial efforts at harmonization but urging that the process be given the highest priority.

“The North American beef industry is best served by eliminating technical barriers to trade. Each country has a sovereign right to establish regulations to ensure food safety and protect animal health, but too often those regulations are inconsistent with the Office of International Epizootics (OIE) standards and scientific rationale,” the groups wrote. “We agree with rules that are based on scientifically sound BSE control measures that protect animal health and public health, rather than precautionary rules that inhibit trade and impose unnecessary costs on a country’s citizens and its industries.”

Posted by Jim Langcuster at March 24, 2004 09:18 AM | TrackBack