TORONTO, (Nov. 10, 2004) — Now that the business of winning the U.S. election is behind him, President George W. Bush can get on with opening the U.S. border to live Canadian cattle exports, the American ambassador to Canada predicted yesterday.

Paul Cellucci told reporters that he thinks there’s “light and the end of the tunnel” in ending the 18-month ban, adding that while he can’t pin down an exact date, he’s hopeful the U.S. may be able to open its border “in a fairly short period of time,” Canadian Press reports.

The U.S. has refused Canadian cattle exports since May 2003, when an Alberta cow was confirmed to be carrying bovine spongiform encephalopathy – or more commonly referred to as mad cow disease. The news instantly brought the Canadian beef industry to a standstill. The ban is still devastating the $8 billion sector — half of which is based on exports to the U.S.

At the time, the U.S. banned all beef and beef-related products. But three months later, the Americans eased the ban, allowing boneless beef from cattle under the age of 30 months, and veal from calves 36 weeks or younger.

That singled that perhaps the U.S. would soon give the green light for live cattle exports as well. But just before Christmas last year, a dairy cow originating in Alberta was found in Washington — icing any new talks of lifting the ban completely. U.S. Department of Agriculture has not shown any serious attempt of reopening the border since the incident — until now.

Cellucci said the USDA is in the process of submitting a new rule to the Office of Management and Budget calling for the reopening of the border so it can be published, and then face an expected challenge.

But the good news, the ambassador said, is that the proposal is strongly supported by President Bush. The goal now is for the USDA to complete due diligence on the procedures so that a challenge would not be upheld in U.S. federal court.

The American ambassador also said it is important the two countries work together more closely in developing standardized BSE testing and marketing protocols for cattle and beef products.

— with files from Canadian Press