US Appeal to WTO on COOL Disappoints Pork Industry
CANADA - The Canadian Pork industry is disappointed to learn the United States has decided to appeal a World Trade Organization panel decision that struck down discriminatory and trade distorting elements of the US Country of Origin labeling (COOL) legislation as it applies to imported livestock.
27 March 2012
2 minute read
"COOL increase costs and create inefficiencies without improving consumer information," stated the Canadian Pork Council’s Chair, Jean-Guy Vincent. "An integrated North American market is more competitive and sustainable for all producers in the long run, and allows all of us to be more competitive globally."
The Canadian Pork Council and its members from Ontario and Manitoba worked in collaboration with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association to provide the analysis to support the government’s efforts to establish that important element of COOL are not consistent with US WTO obligations. The WTO Panel confirmed that the legislation restricted market access and was a technical barrier to the movement of live swine into the US market.
"Canada clearly won all three points that we challenged and the WTO panel ruled that COOL discriminates against Canadian livestock and is inconsistent with WTO rules," added Mr Vincent.
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