Reopen the northern border to cattle

Second, the border closure is counter to U.S. economic interests. Canada has never had much of a beef-processing industry, but it has been forced to develop one now that cattle can't be sent to U.S. slaughterhouses. In his Utah press conference, Johanns said the inventory of Canadian cattle has increased by more than 2 million head over the past two years and that the number of cattle slaughtered north of the border rose by 24 percent last year alone.

In the United States, meanwhile, the number of cattle slaughtered dropped by 8 percent last year.

Canadian officials say they hope to make that country's beef industry completely self-sufficient by 2006. Even if the border reopens after that time, there is little reason to believe Canadians will close their slaughterhouses and resume sending cattle to places such as Hyrum. Nor will further delay help U.S. efforts to import beef to newly emerging markets. Canada will suddenly be an important player on the international stage.

At the moment, most people on both sides of the border have ample reason to work together to resume the flow of cattle. Unfortunately, the matter rests squarely on the 9th Circuit Court, whose timetable is a mystery.

For his part, Johanns has convened an international roundtable to discuss the facts of mad cow disease and to get all sides together. American consumers can only hope a resolution comes soon.