DES MOINES, Iowa — When U.S. hog farmers have something to say, politicians listen.
The National Pork Producers Council has sway in Washington, D.C., because the U.S. pork industry employs more than 500,000 people and adds $39 billion annually to the nation’s gross domestic product.
Given those figures, the NPPC might be the most powerful ag lobby in Washington.
“I would say Pork Producers are number one, far and away,” said John Weber, a former NPPC president. “We’re very well respected. The ability to contact people at high levels is (unmatched).”
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Therefore, the NPPC position on the North American Free Trade Agreement and the upcoming renegotiations does matter. The group wants to preserve the free movement of pigs and pork in North America and doesn’t want a return of country-of-origin labelling.
“That whole issue of country-of-origin labelling has been addressed by the WTO (World Trade Organization). We don’t think it should be a part of being reintroduced to NAFTA,” said Weber, who hosted a June 8 news conference on trade at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines.
“If it gets brought up, we will be there.”
COOL was law in the U.S. for about seven years, requiring labels saying meat was a “product of the U.S.A.” or “product of Mexico” or “product of Brazil.” Canadian pork and beef producers complained that the regulation unfairly discriminated against Canadian products and violated international trade rules. As well, it discounted prices and impeded meat and livestock exports to the U.S.
After multiple WTO rulings in favour of Canada and Mexico, the U.S. Congress repealed COOL in December 2015.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration plans to re-negotiate NAFTA, and U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer may inject COOL into the talks, either as a bargaining chip or as a legitimate demand.
“We would be very concerned if it becomes part of it,” Weber said.
“It cannot be a trade distorting labeling system, as country-of-origin labelling was…. The requirements to label that product was an unworkable proposal the first time.”
Unfortunately for Canadian and Mexican farmers, the NPPC isn’t the only farm lobby with influence in Washington.
The National Farmers Union, which represents 200,000 family farmers, is a strong supporter of COOL.
“American producers raise the best beef and pork in the world, and they believe consumers should be able to know where the meat at the grocery store came from,” said NFU president Roger Johnson.
“The president should stick up for American consumers and producers by ensuring COOL is a priority for his administration’s trade negotiations.”
The NFU and other groups that support COOL barely mention the WTO and international trade rules in their comments on the topic.
Instead, they push a different narrative. They claim that weak American politicians “kowtowed” to foreign powers.
“The current administration has an opportunity to (restore) an important consumer right to know and serious sovereignty issue … the ability of foreign governments or institutions to dictate the laws of our land.”
That argument may influence Trump. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he said Americans citizens and businesses lose in every trade deal because U.S. trade negotiators are useless and weak.
The Trump administration informed Congress in the third week of May that it intends to re-negotiate NAFTA. Following a 90-day consultation period, the trade talks could begin, at the earliest, in mid-August.
