American beef producers and consumers are urging their politicians once again to pass legislation making it mandatory to label meat to distinguish American meat from animals bred, born and fed in the United States from imports.
Canada has three times had to defend itself form this costly discrimination and has won victories in trade disputes-settling forums.
The Americans have been forced to scrap the laws in the face of trade tribunal permission for Canada to retaliate with hefty tariffs on a list of American products.
This time more than 50 groups signed on a letter sent this month to U.S. Senate and House members who co-sponsored the American Beef Labeling Act in the last session of Congress and pledged their support for swift enactment of the bill in 2023.
The letter cites a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult, showing that 86 per cent of American voters favor the American Beef Labeling Act, and have continued to support such policy since Congress rescinded MCOOL in 2015.
The American Beef Labeling Act aims to ensure that beef produced from U.S.-born-and-raised cattle is distinguished in the marketplace and that consumers have accurate information as to the origins of the beef they buy.
The letter was addressed to Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and to Reps. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Morgan Griffith (R-Va.).
The legislation has cost Canadian beef producer multi millions of dollars, first because American beef packers are reluctant to buy Canadian cattle because they need to keep it separate and label it according to the law.
That reduction in demand for Canadian cattle depressed Canadian cattle prices well below U.S. prices.
And, second, there were costs of more than a million dollars each time to hire consultants and lawyers to make the Canadian case before trade tribunals.
And then there's softwood lumber, another case where the Americans slap tariffs on Canadian wood, are either forced to back down or moderate the tariffs, then do it all again.
Great free traders, those Americans! They just talk free trade.
Of course, we're not lily-white Canadians. We have dairy import barriers that give rise to complaints and disputes-settling cases.
