Labor, Grassroots Organizations Push Senate Appropriators to Keep COOL in Place

More than 200 farm, labor, manufacturing and other grassroots organizations urged Senate appropriators to shoot down any attempts to “weaken, suspend or rescind” country-of-origin labeling in fiscal year 2015 appropriations. The World Trade Organization sided again with Canada and Mexico in the COOL dispute in October, but the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative appealed the decision in late November (see 1411280029). Business groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers, are urging Congress to provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture authority to rescind the COOL regulations that the WTO ruled inconsistent with global trade rules. Those organizations fear Canada and Mexico will cause serious damage to the U.S. economy through retaliatory tariffs. “Congress should not short circuit the WTO process; nor should it unconditionally surrender to the threats of tariff retaliation by our trading partners,” said the letter. “We believe the United States has strong grounds to appeal the most recent WTO ruling.” Congress has until Dec. 11 to pass appropriations legislation necessary to keep the government running.