An American law mandating country of origin labelling on meat has reduced sales of Candian meat in the U.S. by about $1 billion per year.by Canadian estimates

An American law mandating country of origin labelling on meat has reduced sales of Canadian meat in the U.S. by about $1 billion per year.by Canadian estimates.
Photo Credit: AP / Charlie Neibergal

Meat-labelling trade dispute victory with U.S. could lead to punitive tariffs

The World Trade Organization ruled in Canada’s favour in a trade dispute over mandatory ‘country-of-origin labelling’ (Cool) on Canadian meat sold in the United States.

Canadian estimates put the losses, since 2008, at as much as a billion a year. This was the fourth and final time the WTO ruled in Canada’s favour.

“The United States has used and exhausted all possible means to avoid their international obligations, damaging our highly integrated North American supply chain, hurting producers and processors on both sides of the border,” the government of Canada said in a  press release.

Now, under WTO rules, Canada and Mexico, the other country opposed to the country-of-origin labelling, can immediately impose punishing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products such as furniture, mattresses, wine, chocolate, cereal, fruit and juice.

Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Trade Minister Ed Fast met with reporters today following the announcement of the victory.

“In light of the final ruling, and due to the fact that the United States has continued to discriminate against Canadian livestock products, Canada will be seeking authority from the WTO to use retaliatory measures on U.S. agricultural and non-agricultural products,” a statement from the two ministries said.

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