Dear Secretary Veneman:
Thank you for your hard work and dedication in response to the recent discovery ofbovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a single dairy cow late last month. Your hard workis helping to restore consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply. Unfortunately,in the wake of this discovery, more than 40 countries - including most of our largest exportmarkets - have imposed bans on the importation of U.S. beef products. It is difficult to overstatethe danger that the loss of these markets poses to an industry worth $175 billion to ourconstituents.
Swift and vigilant action is needed to minimize this loss and to ensure a re-opening oftrade at the earliest possible juncture. Accordingly, we ask that you make re-opening borders toAmerican beef a top priority by appointing a special, high- level envoy who will maintain apersistent and productive dialogue with each of these countries, and with any other country thatis considering imposing a similar ban. A special envoy empowered by you to negotiate directlywith trading partners around the world will send a strong signal that the U.S. is committed toworking in a science-based manner to re-open trade.
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that DNA tests confirm theCanadian origin of the infected cow. Importantly, this means that the U.S. should be consideredBSE- free, according to the standards of the International Office of Epizootics (OIE), to which165 countries - including nearly all of those who have imposed import bans - are signatories,provided the calves born to this cow within the past two years have been slaughtered. The OIEstandards represent a global consensus of scientific opinion. Indeed, the Agreement on theApplication of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures encourages all WTO members toharmonize their own SPS regimes to OIE standards, in the pursuit of a common internationalstandard.
The beef industry is a pivotal economic component of many rural communities, and weknow the U.S. has the safest food supply in the world. That’s why we must do all we can toensure stability in the market, which includes re-opening these borders as soon as possible.A special envoy, authorized by you to work tirelessly towards the termination of importbans against U.S. beef, will be dedicated to full and cons tant communication with our tradingpartners, as well as with all other federal agencies, to bring stability to an industry that isessential to the health of the U.S. rural economy.
Thank you in advance for your immediate consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Max Baucus
Larry Craig
Ben Nelson
Norm Coleman
Zell Miller
Mike Crapo
Mark Dayton
Saxby Chambliss
Craig Thomas
Mitch McConnell
Conrad Burns
Chuck Grassley
Chuck Hagel
Blanche Lincoln
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) In order to help protect America's beef market in the wake of the
recent discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a single dairy cow late last
month, U.S. Senator Max Baucus recently contacted Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to
push for reopening international trade borders to American beef as soon as possible.
In a letter to Veneman, Baucus cited the recent DNA findings proving the Canadian
origin of the infected cow, which means that the U.S. should be considered BSE- free, dependant
upon the health of the infected cow's offspring. Baucus requested that Veneman appoint a
"special, high- level envoy" responsible for negotiating directly with trading partners around the
world to eliminate import trade bans against U.S. beef.
"The strength of the beef industry is vital in my state of Montana and in rural
communities around our nation," Baucus said. "This week's DNA confirmation that the cow
found to have BSE was from Canadian origins should help to restore confidence in the beef
market and should reopen international trade borders to our beef as soon as possible. With every
day that goes by with the trade doors closed, our producers are facing losses of millions of
dollars. We must take action."
Baucus was joined by a bipartisan group of 13 Senators in sending the letter. Full text of
letter attached:
January 7, 2004
The Honorable Ann Veneman
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-0003
Dear Secretary Veneman:
Thank you for your hard work and dedication in response to the recent discovery of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a single dairy cow late last month. Your hard work
is helping to restore consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply. Unfortunately,
in the wake of this discovery, more than 40 countries - including most of our largest export
markets - have imposed bans on the importation of U.S. beef products. It is difficult to overstate
the danger that the loss of these markets poses to an industry worth $175 billion to our
constituents.
Swift and vigilant action is needed to minimize this loss and to ensure a re-opening of
trade at the earliest possible juncture. Accordingly, we ask that you make re-opening borders to
American beef a top priority by appointing a special, high- level envoy who will maintain a
persistent and productive dialogue with each of these countries, and with any other country that
is considering imposing a similar ban. A special envoy empowered by you to negotiate directly
with trading partners around the world will send a strong signal that the U.S. is committed to
working in a science-based manner to re-open trade.
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that DNA tests confirm the
Canadian origin of the infected cow. Importantly, this means that the U.S. should be considered
BSE- free, according to the standards of the International Office of Epizootics (OIE), to which
165 countries - including nearly all of those who have imposed import bans - are signatories,
provided the calves born to this cow within the past two years have been slaughtered. The OIE
standards represent a global consensus of scientific opinion. Indeed, the Agreement on the
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures encourages all WTO members to
harmonize their own SPS regimes to OIE standards, in the pursuit of a common international
standard.
The beef industry is a pivotal economic component of many rural communities, and we
know the U.S. has the safest food supply in the world. That’s why we must do all we can to
ensure stability in the market, which includes re-opening these borders as soon as possible.
A special envoy, authorized by you to work tirelessly towards the termination of import
bans against U.S. beef, will be dedicated to full and cons tant communication with our trading
partners, as well as with all other federal agencies, to bring stability to an industry that is
essential to the health of the U.S. rural economy.
Thank you in advance for your immediate consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Max Baucus
Larry Craig
Ben Nelson
Norm Coleman
Zell Miller
Mike Crapo
Mark Dayton
Saxby Chambliss
Craig Thomas
Mitch McConnell
Conrad Burns
Chuck Grassley
Chuck Hagel
Blanche Lincoln
