Canadian Ag Minister Rejects Stabenow Proposal on COOL Alternative

Canada will not accept a voluntary country-of-origin labeling law in place of the current COOL regulations, Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee leaders ahead of a June 25 COOL hearing. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., floated the new proposal, which replaces mandatory regulations with voluntary ones (see 1506250027">1506250027). “The only way to avoid retaliation will be to end the segregation that discriminates against our livestock exports,” said Ritz in the letter. “For Canada, legislative repeal of COOL is the only approach that will achieve this end.” U.S. agricultural producers and Republican Senators also tore into the proposal, arguing it puts the U.S. at risk of costly retaliation.