(Corrects day to Tuesday in 3rd paragraph) (Recasts, adds Mexico response, details, byline) By Bob Burgdorfer CHICAGO, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Mexico has suspended purchases from 30 U.S. meat plants, some of which are the largest in the country, due to sanitary issues, but U.S. analysts argue Mexico is retaliating for a U.S. meat labeling law that allegedly could hurt Mexican meat sales here. Mexico denied the retaliation charge and said purchases from the affected plants could resume as early as Monday. USDA on Friday listed the affected plants on its website, but the suspensions became effective on Tuesday. The listed plants produce beef, lamb, pork, and poultry and can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/export/lmexico.htm. Mexico is a leading buyer of U.S. meat and news of the suspensions sent cattle and hog futures sharply lower on Friday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Many of the banned plants are owned by the largest U.S. meat companies, including Cargill Inc [CARG.UL], Tyson Foods Inc <TSN.N>, JBS <JBSS3.SA>, Seaboard <SEB.A> and Smithfield Foods <SFD.N>. "If everything goes well, the plants could be re-listed next Monday," Mexico's agriculture ministry said on Friday. The ministry said the affected plants fell short on standards like packaging, labeling, and some transport conditions. CANADA, MEXICO OPPOSED LAW Under the labeling law, commonly called Country-of-Origin Labeling or COOL, meat packages in U.S. supermarkets must carry labels stating the countries where the meat animals were raised. U.S. consumer and farm groups say the labeling rules will distinguish U.S.-grown food from imports on the grocery shelf and fulfill the shopper's right to know about products. Canadian and Mexican officials have opposed the law arguing that it will have U.S. meat plants and consumers discriminating against non-U.S. animals and meat. Both countries ship livestock into the United States. Earlier this year, Mexico had warned many U.S. meat plants of alleged "point of entry violations" and Friday's suspensions may have been related to that, Jim Herlihy, spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, said early on Friday. Point of entry violations could be a number of things including incorrect paperwork or labeling issues, he said. ANALYSTS NOT CONVINCED While Mexico denied retaliating for COOL, U.S. analysts were not convinced. "It appears they are using this to send a signal to our government that they don't like COOL," Don Roose, analyst at U.S. Commodities, said of Mexico's action. Prior to Mexico saying shipments could resume on Monday, Roose had predicted the bans would be short, because Mexico needs the meat for its population. "You have to feed the masses," he said. News of the bans prompted selling in U.S. cattle and hog markets at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Friday, closing the markets lower. "That is bad news," Jim Clarkson, Chicago-based analyst at A&A Trading said of Mexico's action. "They (Mexico) are fighting COOL." After Mexico denied it was retaliating for COOL, Clarkson still predicted the labeling law may have helped prompt the bans. Due to the holiday period, attempts on Friday were unsuccessful to reach USDA officials and many of the U.S. meat companies. (Additional reporting by Jason Lange and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
A man holds up an image from a surveillance camera that shows a plane (R, top) during a news conference in Mexico City, November 14, 2008. Turbulence from a nearby aircraft, ...
