UNITED STATES.
MEXICO LIFTING MEAT BAN NOT CUT AND DRIED.
The fact that Mexico lifted the ban on 21 of the 30 meat plants banned, is not the end of the matter according to the government of Mexico.
Eugenio Salinas, the head of the Mexican Meat Council, told the newswires that the new packaging regulations recently implemented by Mexico, were the main reason for the ban.
The new regulations insist on the beef and pork coming in 50 kilo packages, as opposed to the previous one ton pallets. He went on to say that the US plants had blatantly disregarded the new procedure.
" To the industry and the importers this is one of the most important times of the year, so had we not resolved at least part of he problem today, it would have been really serious for the New Year trade" said Salinas.
Mexico like Canada, are concerned about the new labeling laws in the United States, in 2007 Mexico sent 870,000 live cattle into the United States, mainly into feed lots and for finishing. The trade has dropped to only 360,000 for the first 10 months of 2008.