Major U.S.-"Mexico Trade Agreement Reached on U.S. Cattle

Phoenix, AZ A major trade agreement has been reached between the U.S. and Mexico that will allow U.S. breeding cattle to be exported to Mexico. I am pleased that the U.S. and Mexican governments have come to an agreement on exporting breeding cattle to Mexico. This agreement is good for Arizona ranchers and consistent with the guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), stated Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Don Butler. On March 4, 2008, the Arizona Department of Agriculture joined Texas in calling for a ban on the movement of Canadian cattle through export facilities along the U.S. - Mexican border. This action came after learning of a trading protocol signed between Canada and Mexico allowing for more lucrative trade of Canadian cattle into Mexico than of U.S. cattle. Officials in New Mexico and California also joined this effort. After this breakthrough in trade negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico that resulted in U.S. cattle being able to be exported to Mexico; the Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas Departments of Agriculture have decided to lift their ban on Canadian cattle being shipped through their states. This agreement will again allow our ranchers to do business with our friends south of the border. I commend Arizona ranchers for their persistence in obtaining this long overdue deal to reestablish live cattle trade relations, Director Butler said. I thank the U.S. Department of Agriculture for securing this agreement and reopening trade with Mexico, this is a win for our Arizona cattle producers. Arizona ranchers raise almost one million head of cattle to provide food and milk for Arizonans and consumers all over the world, representing a multi billion dollar industry. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the new protocol will take affect today, Friday, March 28, 2008.