Canada says Taiwan has lifted its temporary ban on Canadian beef, removing the trade barrier it imposed after an outbreak of mad cow disease in Alberta last year, according to AP. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland say the ban was lifted effective Friday. The trade restrictions on Canada were imposed in 2015 after a breeding cow was found with the brain-wasting disorder, known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE. Prior to the ban, some US$9.2 million (CA$12 million) of Canada's US$1.5 billion (CA$2 billion) in total annual beef exports went to Taiwan, making it Canada's seventh largest beef market.