The Department of Agriculture says it plans to propose a rule in the next six to eight months, eliminating all remaining restrictions associated with the disease.
The limits have been in place since Canada's first case of mad cow disease was reported in 2003. Earlier this year, the U.S. started allowing younger cattle to enter the country because levels of infection from the disease are thought to increase with age.
Industry officials argue that rules for how cattle are slaughtered can prevent the disease from ever entering the human or animal food supply.
