Statement by Canada and Mexico on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling

The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, and the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, jointly with Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, and Enrique Martínez y Martínez, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, today issued the following statement on the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) latest and final ruling on the United States’ Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) measure:

• Once again, the WTO has confirmed Canada and Mexico’s long-standing position that the United States’ mandatory COOL requirements for beef and pork are blatantly protectionist and are a violation of the United States’ international trade obligations.
• The amended COOL measure, which causes Canadian and Mexican livestock and meat to be segregated from those of U.S. origin, is damaging to North America’s supply chain and is harmful to producers and processors in all three countries.
• In light of the WTO’s final decision, and due to the fact that this discriminatory measure remains in place, our governments will be seeking authorization from the WTO to take retaliatory measures against U.S. exports.
• We call on the United States to repeal COOL legislation and comply with its international obligations.
• The Canadian and Mexican governments will continue to work closely to resolve this important trade issue with the United States in order to protect our farmers and ranchers and maintain jobs and economic prosperity throughout North America.