Philippines Lifts Suspension Of Canadian Beef Imports

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau announced the news on Twitter over the weekend, "The Philippines has lifted its temporary suspension of (Canadian) beef imports, imposed following the discovery of an atypical BSE case in December."

Bibeaus says it's great news for livestock producers and their high-quality beef.

The Philippines is considered Canada's 12th largest importer of Canadian Beef.

The suspension was put in place after the discovery of an atypical case of BSE in December, which marked the first case of BSE in Canada in six years.

The Philippines, China and South Korea had imposed suspensions following the news as they awaited more information.

The move temporarily stopped Canadian beef imports.

South Korea lifted their suspension in January, China now remains the only holdout.

Officials with the Canadian Cattlemen's Association have said that Atypical BSE can occur naturally and spontaneously in cattle and is expected to occur in all cattle populations worldwide, regardless of any BSE control measures they may have in place.