Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has announced another visit to Washington, D.C., to discuss U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) and to seek changes to make it trade compliant.
Ritz and delegates from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council and Canadian Meat Council are scheduled to be in the American capitol this week. They intend to meet with members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, said a news release issued today.
COOL is estimated to have cost the Canadian livestock industry more than $1 billion per year since it was fully implemented. The legislation requires livestock and meat segregation and additional labelling, and the associated extra costs of those requirements discourage American packers from buying Canadian animals.
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The World Trade Organization appellate body is scheduled to hear the U.S. defense of its labelling legislation Feb. 16 and 17.
The WTO has three times ruled that COOL violates trade agreements. The appellate body’s oral hearings are considered to be among the last efforts the U.S. can make to justify its legislation.
Ritz has repeatedly stated that Canada will seek authorization to impose retaliatory tariffs on American goods if COOL is not revised to become trade compliant.
“Canada continues to call upon the U.S. to comply with the WTO ruling and eliminate COOL’s discriminatory treatment against Canadian hogs and cattle,” said Ritz in a news release.
“Our government will always stand with our farmers and ranchers, and we will not shy away from taking whatever steps may be necessary, including retaliation, to achieve a fair resolution.”
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