WTO finishes COOL compliance report
July 31, 2014 | 11:00 AM
The chief parties involved in the continuing dispute over the latest iteration of the U.S. country-of-origin import labeling law received a final World Trade Organization compliance report Wednesday, Washington Trade Daily reported late Wednesday.
The panel report changes little from what was in a June dispute settlement panel finding directing the United States to make some changes, WTD said.
Mexico and Canada had charged that the labeling requirements are more burdensome than necessary and unfairly disadvantage their own producers.
The report will be formally released in September, WTD noted.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., said in a news release Wednesday that he, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and 110 other members of the House had written Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that, if the WTO works against the United States, he should to rescind the final COOL rule while Congress works to resolve the issue.
Crawford is chairman and Costa is ranking member on the House Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development and Credit Subcommittee. Farm groups are split on the COOL issue.
The panel report changes little from what was in a June dispute settlement panel finding directing the United States to make some changes, WTD said.
Mexico and Canada had charged that the labeling requirements are more burdensome than necessary and unfairly disadvantage their own producers.
The report will be formally released in September, WTD noted.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., said in a news release Wednesday that he, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and 110 other members of the House had written Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that, if the WTO works against the United States, he should to rescind the final COOL rule while Congress works to resolve the issue.
Crawford is chairman and Costa is ranking member on the House Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development and Credit Subcommittee. Farm groups are split on the COOL issue.
