Bipartisan Bill to Be Introduced Asking USTR to Develop WTO-Compliant COOL
The previous country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef triggered a dispute among the U.S., Mexico and Canada that the U.S. lost at the World Trade Organization (see 1512070017), leading to retaliatory tariffs, and ultimately, the end of mandatory COOL.…
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Ranchers have repeatedly sought the return of COOL, as they dislike the fact that cattle raised in Canada but slaughtered in the U.S. are labeled as U.S. products. South Dakota's two senators, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced that they will introduce a new COOL bill next week that will require the U.S. trade representative consulting with the agriculture secretary to develop a new mandatory COOL regime that could withstand scrutiny at the WTO. The agency would have six months to develop the plan and six months to implement it, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said. If the USTR does not come up with a plan, an automatic mandatory COOL would begin for beef. “Transparency in labeling benefits both producers and consumers,” Thune said. “Unfortunately, the current beef labeling system in this country allows imported beef that is neither born nor raised in the United States, but simply finished here, to be labeled as a product of the USA. This process is unfair to cattle producers and misleading for consumers. When you see a ‘product of the USA’ label on the grocery store shelf, it should mean just that."