Mandatory COOL Bill Introduced in House
A House bill to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling for beef diverges from the Senate COOL bill (see 2301310026), which asks the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to develop a method to reinstate mandatory COOL that is compliant with the World Trade Organization.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
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 WTO (see 1512070017), leading to retaliatory tariffs, and ultimately, the end of mandatory COOL.
The House bill, introduced by Reps. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., does not worry about WTO compliance.
"Unlike the Senate bill that directs Administration officials to determine a means of reinstating MCOOL that complies with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the new House bill expressly states that no ruling by the WTO may affect the implementation of MCOOL for beef," the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America said last week, as it hailed the House bill's arrival.
The House bill has five other co-sponsors, including Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee ranking member Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
Currently, beef slaughtered and packaged in the U.S., but raised in Canada, is labeled "U.S." These members of Congress want that label to be reserved for animals born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.; the House bill specifies that the packaging must also be done in the U.S.
“Beef is a key product of the American West, and enhanced country of origin labeling guidance is vital to protecting small-scale farmers and ranchers that must compete with mega meatpacking conglomerates. Clarifying what it means to be ‘made in the USA’ will give consumers greater confidence in what they feed their families, support local farmers and economies, and crack down on deceptive labeling practices by the big four meatpackers," Hageman said.
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said his group will be advocating for the bill to be included in the 2023 Farm Bill.