As the first rounds of negotiations in NAFTA concluded, cattle industry leaders from the U.S. and Canada were happy to see no major upset regarding cattle and beef trade

As the first rounds of negotiations in NAFTA concluded, cattle industry leaders from the U.S. and Canada were happy to see no major upset regarding cattle and beef trade. Still, there are a few improvements U.S. and Canadian producers want to discuss.“There are some small provisions that could be improved, as far as just getting cattle and beef across the border. Any time we can look at a way to take that regulatory burden down, it’s a good thing,” says Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, vice president, government affairs. “But for us, we want to make sure the basic provisions that allow the full, unfettered access stay in place. That’s what we are pushing for.”  One regulation John Masswohl, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, director of government and international relations, would like to see change is a rule that live Canadian cattle must be born after March of 1999 in order to be exported to the U.S. Most animals are, but providing documentation of each animal’s birthdate is a burden for many producers.