RBC | Since Congress repealed mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) on beef and pork in December 2015, retail sellers have not been required to identify the country of origin of any of their beef or pork offerings. Some 20 percent of U.S. beef consumption today is imported.
Mandatory COOL was first established in the 2002 Farm Bill. Congress felt obligated to remove the requirement in late 2015 because the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which the U.S. is a party through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), authorized Canada and Mexico to levy retaliatory tariffs on any U.S. exports beyond beef and pork to such items as fruit and wine. All this is one reason President Trump continually refers to NAFTA, among other trade agreements, as “bad deals.”
State Representative Kimmi Lewis (R-La Junta) and State Senator Vicki Marble (R-Ft. Collins) sought to correct this deficit for Colorado consumers by introducing House Bill 17-1234 in the state legislature last month. The bill would require retailers to post signs next to any display of fresh beef indicating whether or not that beef is a product of the USA or if it is imported. If imported, the sign would indicate from which countries the beef came. The bill was heard in the house agriculture, natural resources and livestock committee on April 3. The Colorado Pork Producers Council turned down Rep. Lewis’ offer to include pork in the bill.
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