CHICAGO, July 14 - A federal appeals court on Thursday lifted an injunction blocking the resumption of cattle imports from Canada, after United States agriculture officials told the court that the animals did not pose a threat to humans from mad cow disease.

The order by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit cleared the way for Canadian ranchers to sell cattle in the United States. A shortage of animals to slaughter has hurt profits at the largest American beef packers while forcing some smaller packing houses to close.

The Agriculture Department has not said when it would resume the cattle imports, and officials could not be reached late Thursday.

"Once the trade can resume, the normal balance of North American trade can be put in place," said Rosemary Mucklow, the executive director of the National Meat Association, a trade group that represents American meat packers and processors. "This is very good news."