Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate to Repeal COOL

By Bruce Cochrane

A bill introduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate, if passed, will repeal U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling rules for beef, pork and poultry.

The chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry introduced in the Senate yesterday an amendment to the "Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act" to repeal Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling requirements for beef, pork and poultry.

The proposed amendment comes on the heals of last months passage of legislation by the House of Representatives to repeal COOL.

Senator Pat Roberts says, to protect the U.S. economy and ensure Canada and Mexico drop their pursuit of retaliation the Senate must take up the House passed bill repealing COOL.

Pat Roberts-U.S. Senate:
Whether you support COOL or whether you oppose COOL, the fact is retaliation is coming unless the Senate acts to stop this program that the WTO has found to be discriminatory.

Over the years this body has attempted many times to craft a workable COOL program for all stakeholders while still living up to our international trade obligations.

Congress, through directives in the 2002 farm bill and 2008 farm bill, required the establishment of COOL for meat.

Through regulations issued in 2009 and revised in 2013 the Department of Agriculture made several attempts to implement a workable and WTO compliant COOL program.

However, as I mentioned earlier, again and again the WTO ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico.

Roberts notes the Canadian government, which will determine whether or not retaliation on U.S. products will take effect in the near future, has made it clear the only acceptable outcome remains for the United States to repeal COOL or face $3,000,000,000 in annual retaliation.

Source: Farmscape