House votes to repeal COOL requirements for meat.

  • As previously covered on this blog, U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for meat products have long been the subject of controversy and challenge, culminating in a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that the COOL requirements violate U.S. trade obligations to Canada and Mexico.  The WTO ruling essentially forces Congress to repeal the COOL requirements to avoid trade sanctions.
  • On June 10, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would repeal the COOL requirements.
  • Despite some critics’ view that international trade agreements should not interfere with U.S. requirements intended to provide consumers with clearer information about the source of their meat products, the repeal of COOL will be greeted with approval by the U.S. meat industry (which has long opposed the requirements) and will avoid U.S. exposure to retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico.