Earlier this week Canada's federal minister of agriculture was joined by his provincial counterparts from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba at the North American Meat Association Outlook Conference in Chicago to reinforce Canada's position on US County of Origin Labelling.

Manitoba Pork Council general manager Andrew Dickson says it was critical for Canada's agriculture ministers to emphasize Canada's resolve to have the legislation changed to end its discriminatory effects.

Andrew Dickson-Manitoba Pork Council

From Canada's perspective the changes that the USDA made to the labelling still does not resolve the issue of segregation occurring at the packing plant level that essentially ices out Canada from being able to sell livestock into the United States.

It's a little bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

The minister was very clear that in the Canadian view these amendments made in May by USDA do not meet the answer that we had expected as a result of the decision made by the WTO almost a year ago now and it's very frustrating.

It's costing Canadian livestock producers over a billion dollars every year from the effects of this legislation.

It's also costing US processors and farmers money.

It's not helping their industry become efficient.

Mr Dickson notes the ministers were clear that Canada and the US have built up an integrated North American livestock industry and COOL essentially brings an iron curtain down on that industry and creates costs on both sides of the border, especially in the United States where plants have closed, producers have had to pay extra costs there have been added costs to consumers.