Country of origin labelling of beef in the U.S. seems to be an issue that never goes away entirely, even with settled trade disputes.
The most recent move towards some form of COOL is gaining momentum in the U.S., though agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack has said any labelling must be trade compliant.
Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president with Canadian Cattle Association, says that the increased discussion around some new form of beef labelling is reason for concern. North America’s integrated beef value chain works well, he says, and is a valuable trade sector. Any labelling that might require cattle segregation is not just potentially expensive, but it’s also unlikely to pass the trade complaint hurdle.
Several key elections in the next few months are bringing more attention to the topic, and that means staying in touch with U.S. counterparts on the issue is incredibly important, Laycraft says.
Could the proposed new labeling rules become de-facto mandatory? What about the impact of Bill 282 on the upcoming renegotiation of USMCA/CUSMA? Those questions are up for discussion in the video below — or download the podcast for listening later!
