The World Trade Organization is unlikely to rule until “well into 2015” on U.S. meat-labeling rules, say 32 senators in a letter arguing against unilateral surrender in the dispute with Canada and Mexico. The letter, organized by Montana Sen. Jon Tester, asks leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to forgo any action on country-of-origin labels when they draft a government funding bill for the rest of this fiscal year. The funding bill is the No. 1 item for the lame duck session of Congress and may be the only legislation with a chance of passage.
Some livestock and food industry groups want to revoke the labeling rules. Published reports in August said WTO had decided the U.S. rules violate trade rules but there was no public announcement.
The WTO summary of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico dispute is available here.