Free trade has been very good for the Canadian industry. Canada and the United States had established a free, transparent, and competitive market in beef and live cattle.
The fact that nearly half a million cattle under 30 months were exported to the US in the second half of 2005 suggests that the Canadian-American trade in cattle and beef will likely return to its high levels before the BSE crisis struck.
There are good prospects that in 2006, the U.S. will propose a rule to open the border to Canadian cattle and beef over 30 months, effectively bringing the market back to its free, transparent and competitive position.