Dispute Over Meat Labeling May Hit Fruit Growers' Bottom LineNew tariffs to roll out with Country of Origin Labeling.

摘要

THE 2002 FARM BILL included mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for meat, poultry, produce, and seafood. The move came in response to pressure brought from consumer groups for transparency, as well as some U.S. agricultural producer groups.For the most part, the produce industry was supportive, and implementation for our sector went fairly smoothly. This was not the case for meat, which was controversial from the start. When the 2008 Farm Bill made further amendments to COOL for meat, theCanadian and Mexican governments filed a case with the World Trade Organization (WTO). The two countries maintain that the law gives the U.S. an unfair advantage by reducing the value and number of cattle and hogs shipped to the U.S. market.