Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast are pleased with the establishment of a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) on September 25, in Geneva…
Canada maintains that the U.S. has failed to bring its COOL measure into conformity with its WTO obligations. It believes that the recent amendments to the COOL regulations will further hinder the ability of Canadian cattle and hog producers to freely compete in the U.S.
The purpose of a WTO compliance panel is to determine whether measures found to violate WTO obligations have been brought into conformity with WTO obligations. The panel is composed of all original members of the WTO panel established in 2009 on the same issue, which will accelerate the process.
If Canada prevails in the compliance proceedings, which may include an appeal to the WTO Appellate Body, Canada could seek authorization from the WTO to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports. A list of possible target products was released in a statement issued on June 7, 2013. Canada will continue to consult with stakeholders as it pursues a fair resolution of this issue through the WTO over the next 15 to 18 months…
This has been excerpted from the 2 October 2013 news release by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and is available in its entirety at http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2013&page=n131002a.