Download Locations:
Summary:
Confirmation by the Secretary of Agriculture of a second case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease) in the United States on June 24, 2005, could complicate efforts to normalize U.S. beef and cattle trade, which has been disrupted by previous discoveries of BSE in four Canadian-born cattle. After one of them tested positive for BSE in December 2003 in Washington state, most countries banned U.S. beef and cattle products. Of the major markets, Canada and Mexico are now importing some U.S. beef, but efforts to reopen Asian markets, notably Japan and Korea, have progressed slowly. USDA's efforts to reopen the border to Canadian live cattle have been impeded by several legal challenges. In Congress, committees have held oversight hearings, and the Senate on March 3, 3005, passed a resolution (opposed by the President) that would disapprove a USDA rule to permit younger Canadian cattle imports. This report will be updated.1
