In a joint statement, Canada and Mexico said the United States must repeal its country-of-origin label (COOL) scheme or face $1.01 billion in retaliatory tariffs. “Canada and Mexico recognize that the U.S. House of Representatives repealed COOL for beef and pork last June, and we renew our call on the U.S. Senate to quickly do the same in order to avoid retaliation against U.S. exports,” said the statement, issued two days after the WTO approved retaliation, if necessary. Under COOL, packages of meat must say where the animals were born, raised, and slaughtered.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that he has raised the issue directly with President Obama. Canadian Press quoted Trudeau as saying, “We are going to work with Americans – or against them – to make sure that it (repeal) happens.” The true goal of Canada and Mexico in the seven-year-old dispute is elimination of COOL. The WTO agreed with the nations that the U.S. labeling scheme discourages imports of beef, pork, cattle and hogs because of the challenge to identify the origin of slaughter animals and the meat from them.
Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts told Agri-Pulse that Republican congressional leaders were committed to resolving COOL in the catch-all spending bill that must be passed this week or next. If that bill falters, Roberts said, COOL could be handled in an emergency bill.