Canada’s agriculture minister, Gerry Ritz, said two U.S. senators are wrong to say their proposal for a voluntary country-of-origin label (COOL) for beef, pork and chicken is similar to the “Product of Canada” label available in his country. “A voluntary regime as they propose does not require legislation,” Ritz said in a statement. Canada’s food-inspection agency offers voluntary labeling through a regulatory program. Sens. John Hoeven and Debbie Stabenow would create a voluntary COOL in the same bill that would eliminate mandatory COOL for beef, pork and chicken.
“By continuing the segregation of and discrimination against Canadian cattle and hogs, Senators Hoeven and Stabenow’s proposed measure will continue to harm farmers, ranchers, packers, retailers and consumers,” said Ritz. Canada and Mexico won a WTO ruling that mandatory U.S. COOL distorted cross-border trade. The three countries are now in arbitration over retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. system is not dismantled.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s repeal or retaliation,” said Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts.
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, a supporter of the Hoeven-Stabenow bill, said earlier this week, “I think there’s a certain amount of trying to intimidate the United States” in Canada’s threats of retaliation. “I think they ought to wake up and declare victory.” Grassley said any segregation of domestic and imported livestock under the Hoeven-Stabenow plan would result from a business decision by a packer, not government fiat.