And often we are producing the same commodities along that border, whether it be lumber, or whether it be cattle and pork, or whether it be raspberries, potatoes, durum wheat, or whatever. And so this tends to be the area of contention, even though most of the relationship is very, very good. Fry is president of the 1,400 member Association for Canadian Studies in the United States. He says not allowing imports in the Dakotas is nothing more than legalized harassment - something that's done to get attention and make a point. He calls it a projectionist move and one that will certainly backfire.
Canadian officials say there are legal avenues to take against the United States.
Maybe I should be more diplomatic, but when a state tries to substitute itself for the federal government, it seldom bears positive results. Canadian officials say they are considering their options, and have not decided yet how quickly they'll legally respond to the inspections. Professor Earl Fry says it's important to understand the economic climate behind the dispute. He says businesses can make 20 to 30 percent return if they purchase Canadian livestock and sell it in the US just because of the exchange rate. Fry says the farm crisis makes the situation all the worse on the US side of the border.