OTTAWA, ONTARIO — Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is leading an industry delegation to Washington, D.C., this week to reinforce Canada's position on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) to key industry coalitions and members of the newly elected U.S. House and Senate.
The delegation includes members from the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, the Canadian Pork Council, and the Canadian Meat Council.
COOL continues to significantly disrupt the North American supply chain, create unpredictability in the market, and impose additional costs on producers on both sides of the border.
Last fall, the World Trade Organization (WTO) released its Compliance Panel report confirming that the U.S. COOL requirements for beef and pork are a blatant breach of international obligations. Canada will continue to fully assert our rights to achieve a fair resolution, including seeking authorization to implement retaliatory measures on U.S. agricultural and non-agricultural products if and as necessary.
Quick Facts
- Total agricultural trade between Canada and the U.S. totaled $44 billion in 2013.
- Eight million jobs in the U.S. depend on trade with Canada.
- The WTO has clearly ruled on three separate occasions (October 20, 2014, June 29, 2012, and November 18, 2011) that COOL discriminates against Canadian cattle and hogs and violates the trade obligations of the U.S.
Quotes
"Canada continues to call upon the U.S. to comply with the WTO ruling and eliminate COOL's discriminatory treatment against Canadian hogs and cattle.Our government will always stand with our farmers and ranchers, and we will not shy away from taking whatever steps may be necessary, including retaliation, to achieve a fair resolution."
– Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
