Feds Welcome Formation of WTO Panel on COOL Dispute

Oct 04, 2013

Feds Welcome Formation of WTO Panel on COOL Dispute

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The Canadian government says that it is pleased with the establishment of a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL).

“Our Government continues to aggressively lobby the U.S. Government to make a legislative change to finally put an end to mandatory Country of Origin Labelling that hurts producers on both sides of the border,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a release.

Canada had been calling for the WTO to rule on whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s May 23 revisions to COOL comply with trade obligations. The panel will decide if the USDA brought its COOL rules into conformity. The Canadian government maintains that the USDA’s amendments to COOL do not meet compliance standards, and instead increase discrimination against Canadian livestock.

Under USDA’s revisions, COOL was expanded and now requires meat products to include more information, including where the meat was born, raised and slaughtered. The tightened rule also forbids commingling of muscle cuts.

Canada is awaiting approval from the WTO before imposing retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. imports. The dispute resolution could take 15 to 18 months.

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