US cites dubious animal health concern in suspending cattle imports

Yesterday (May 11) the US suspended imports of cattle from Mexico, citing northward spread of the New World Screwworm.

New World Screwworm is a significant pest in Central America. Which is why its progress northward has been actively, and effectively, managed for more than half a century.

The New World Screwworm has been found in Mexico. In remote farms 700 miles from the US border.

This US administration promotes vitamin A and cod liver oil as solutions for measles, refused to take any significant action addressing H5N1 flu in cattle, and placed DOGE at the core of its agenda. This US administration did not rediscover bureaucratic ambition, and informed concern about the health of US cattle, yesterday.

What occurred yesterday is that with tariffs proving politically unpalatable, this US administration now seeks other means to constrain imports to the US.

Canada is working to manage a Bovine Turberculous outbreak in Saskatchewan that cannot be fully investigated and conclusively contained because of deficiencies in our livestock animal traceability system identified more than a decade ago. The necessary federal regulation amendment to resolve these deficiencies was drafted Q1 2023, finalized 15 months ago, but remains stalled awaiting federal cabinet approval.

Bovine TB, H5N1 flu in cattle, or Foot and Mouth disease, combined with Canada’s demonstrated neglect addressing deficiencies that compromise our capacity to contain animal health incidents presenting risk to human health, provide the justification the US administration now actively seeks to suspend Canadian cattle and beef imports.

First priority of the new Minister of Health Canada must securing approval of the Regulations Amending the Health of Animals Regulations (Identification and Traceability) so that Flokk, and others, can begin our work providing Canada’s 60,000 ranching families the solutions they need to ensure continued access to the US, and other, export markets.