COOL Compliance Deadline Renews Meat Labelling Debate

With the WTO-established deadline for the US to bring its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) requirements for beef and pork into compliance set for 23 May, Canada and Mexico have both made public comments questioning whether Washington’s planned reforms will be enough to resolve the dispute.

A WTO dispute panel had ruled that COOL- a US government regulation enacted in 2008- was in violation of Washington’s international obligations at the global trade body in November 2011. The Appellate Body broadly confirmed the ruling last June. In advance of today’s compliance deadline, Canada has said that it has already prepared a list of US products that it would aim to target in retaliation for US non-compliance, should the WTO authorise countermeasures.

Although US regulators argue that their planned changes - which would require meat to be labelled with information about where an animal was born, fed, and slaughtered - would be in compliance with WTO rules, Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has responded that the proposal “actually makes things worse.” Similar concerns have also been tabled by his Mexican counterpart, Enrique Martínez.