The United States faces a May 23 deadline to change its
Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) legislation to comply with World Trade
Organization rules of trade.
The changes required will boost prices for Canadian cattle
and hogs shipped to packing plants in the United States.
They have been depressed since the U.S. implemented
mandatory COOL regulations in 2008, costing Canadian livestock farmers
millions. They had to hire lawyers and consultants to bring the U.S. to justice
before the World Trade Organization.
Trade Minister Ed Fast and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
say they expect the U.S. will comply by the May 23 deadline. If the U.S. does
not comply, it will face penalties that will reflect Canada’s choosing, such as
Canadian tariffs on selected U.S. products.
Mexico joined with Canada in challenging the U.S. COOL
regulations.
The
two Canadian politicians issued a news release saying “removing onerous labeling
measures, and the unfair, unnecessary costs that go with them, will improve
competitiveness, boost growth, and help strengthen the prosperity of Canadian
and American producers alike.”
