House Agriculture Committee Advances COOL Repeal Legislation
The House Agriculture Committee approved legislation to repeal most country-of-origin labeling regulations for meat muscle cuts on May 20 with a 38-6 vote. The legislation, HR-2393 (here), would end COOL requirements for beef, pork and chicken, but would keep them in place for lamb and venison (see 1505180065). A committee spokesman didn't respond for comment on whether the committee approved amendments during the markup. House Agriculture Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, introduced the bill soon after the World Trade Organization shot down the final U.S. appeal in the COOL dispute with Canada and Mexico on May 18 (see 1505180018). Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, also said he's willing to move forward with repeal.
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Canada and Mexico have both threatened to retaliate with higher tariffs. The Canadian retaliation list targets not only agricultural products, but also processed foods, jewelry, articles of iron or steel, furniture and other products (see 13061022). Mexico's retaliation list may mirror the country’s 2010 list from a dispute over the cancellation of the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking pilot, which the two sides resolved in 2011, said officials from the National Association of Manufacturers and others in recent months. That list includes a range of agriculture products, beauty and hygiene products, gas masks and plastic tableware, among many other goods (see 10081921).