New Zealand Opens Beef Trade With Canada

OTTAWA — Jul 8/05 - SNS -- New Zealand has lifted all restrictions on beef trade with Canada, reports Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell, effective immediately.

He said New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has recognized that the consumer safeguards implemented in Canada to manage the human health risks associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are equivalent to New Zealand's standards. This means that NZFSA acknowledges the safety of Canadian beef with respect to BSE.

"The normalization of beef trade with New Zealand, a BSE-free country, is a solid acknowledgement of the effectiveness of our BSE measures in assuring the safety of Canadian beef," said Minister Mitchell. "Canadians can take pride in their livestock industry, and the tremendous lengths they have gone to demonstrate that our beef is among the best in the world."

New Zealand will remove the case-by-case assessment of Canadian bovine products currently in place and arrange for immediate implementation of our equivalence decision and the agreed certification for bovine products exported from Canada.

New Zealand officials have indicated they hold Canada in high regard with respect to its agricultural practices and food safety risk management systems.

This announcement is an important element of the Government of Canada's commitment to the resumption of full market access with key markets. This marks the 15th country that Canada has resumed full or partial trade with since borders were closed in May 2003.