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From: TSS ()
Montana court date on Canada cattle trade postponed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A July 27 federal district court hearing at which U.S. ranchers group R-CALF hoped to permanently close the border to imports of Canadian cattle has been postponed, a court clerk told Reuters on Wednesday. The hearing in Billings, Montana, has been "vacated until further order from the court," the clerk said, adding that no other details were available. A federal appeals court ruled last week that the U.S. government could end a two-year ban on imports of Canadian cattle imposed after Ottawa discovered its first domestic case of mad cow disease. The appeals court decision overturned a March ruling by a Montana judge who temporarily halted, at R-CALF's request, the government plan to reopen the border to shipment of Canadian cattle under 30 months old. http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_national.asp?id=84838 On July 27, Judge Richard Cebull was to begin hearing arguments from R-CALF about why a temporary injunction he issued to keep the border closed should be extended. But last week, three appeal court judges overturned the temporary injunction and said they will release their written explanation. Cebull said Wednesday that because he has yet to see the opinion, he won't hear R-CALF's arguments. After reading the decision he will decide whether further hearings are necessary. Canadian cattle crossed the border into the U.S. for the first time in more than two years Monday, taking advantage of the appeals court decision that allowed animals under the age of 30 months into the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had said that in light of the ruling, it would immediately begin the process to resume imports. FROM JULY 15, 2005: Border to open to cattle: U.S. The USDA had determined that Canada was a minimal risk region for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. R-CALF has said it would take the matter to the Supreme Court. The U.S. closed its border to Canadian beef in May 2003, after the first case of BSE in a Canadian-born cow was confirmed. There have been two other positive cases since then, and the first case of BSE in the U.S. – an infected cow in Washington state in December 2003 – had been born in Canada. Last month, the U.S. confirmed its first case of BSE in a U.S.-born cow. The U.S. resumed the import of some cuts of Canadian beef in August 2003, but still won't allow cattle to cross the border. It had planned to start by allowing animals under the age of 30 months into the country. The Canadian cattle industry has lost an estimated $6.5 billion since the border closed. http://sask.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=cebull050720 TSS
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