Carbadox is widely used on hogs in the U.S. National Pork Producers Council Chief Executive Officer Neil Dierks said Canada is in the process of finalizing its ban on the use of carbadox.

The Canadian plans could result in a possible ban on U.S. meat from animals treated with the drug during production, he said. The issue is one of concern for U.S. hog producers because of Canada's significance as an important trading partner for U.S. pork products, said Dierks.

Based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data, last year Canada imported 130,581 metric tons of U.S. pork valued at $395.6 million to become the third- largest destination for U.S. pork products behind Mexico and Japan.

A Canadian pork industry official said recently that his country currently brings in more than 100,000 tons of pork from the U.S. annually, which accounts for more than 10% of Canada's domestic consumption.

Source: Cattle Network