Cuba resumes Canadian beef imports.

Cuba will reopen its border to a wide range of Canadian beef products, the Canadian government announced Dec. 14, in a report carried by Nebraska's Midwest Messenger.

Beef trade between the two countries was halted since last year's discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada. Before the ban, Cuba represented about a $2.2 million market for Canadian beef and beef products.

Cuba will immediately begin importing Canadian beef and beef products from cattle of any age, with a few exceptions including mechanically separated meat, vertebral column, trimmings, and tissues derived from the head. Cuba will also accept pet food that does not contain ruminant meat or bone meal.

Building on this agreement, officials from both countries say they hope to agree shortly on certification requirements that also would permit the importation of live Canadian cattle.

"It's important for the U.S. government to seize this opportunity and reopen the Cuban market for U.S. beef and beef products as well," said John Reddington, vice-president of international trade at the Washington-based American Meat Institute.

"Since Canadian beef production and safety standards are really mirror images of those in the United States, this should be an easy opportunity to re-open this important market for our producers and packers," he said.

Details: John Reddington, American Meat Institute, 1150 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Fl., Washington, DC 20036. Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. URL: www.meatami.