WESTERN PROVINCES DISCUSS CROSS-BORDER TRADE ISSUES WITH NORTH DAKOTA

Released on August 17, 2000

Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta government representatives are in Bismarck,

ND today to express concern with regulations proposed for Canadian livestock

exports.



Prairie Agriculture Ministers say the regulations now being developed by the

North Dakota Board of Animal Health would restrict livestock exports from

Canada into that state.



The proposed regulations, under North Dakota's Bill 1276 passed in 1999, would

require testing of Canadian cattle for tuberculosis, brucellosis, bluetongue

and

anaplasmosis, despite Canada's disease-free status as recognized by the United

States Department of Agriculture (USDA).



"Our provinces value our trading relationship with North Dakota and want to

maintain this important partnership," Agriculture and Food Minister Clay Serby

said. "North Dakota's new regulations could jeopardize all the recent efforts

between Canada and the United States to harmonize health, pesticide and

veterinary regulations."



Today's meeting is another step in efforts that have been ongoing for more than

a year to resolve this issue.



"Farmers and ranchers on both sides of the border have repeatedly told us they

need greater regulatory harmonization in order to improve farm family incomes,"

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ty Lund said. "The

proposed regulations represent a major hurdle in our efforts to reach this

goal."



"These new regulations would essentially establish a non-tariff barrier and are

contrary to the understanding drawn from the Northern Plains Conference held in

Fargo last November," Manitoba Agriculture and Food Minister Rosann Wowchuk

said. "Bill 1276 would be inconsistent with NAFTA and the WTO."



The North Dakota Board of Animal Health will make its decision on the proposed

rules in late September.



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For more information, contact:



Rick Burton Diana Soroka Len Ewanyk

Saskatchewan Agriculture Manitoba Agriculture Alberta Agriculture,

and Food and Food Food and Rural Development

Regina, SK Winnipeg, MB Edmonton, AB

Phone: (306) 787-5882 Phone: (204) 945-3810 Phone: (780)422-2125