On December 18, 2015 ,Congress repealed the controversial U.S.
Country-of-Origin-labeling ("COOL") rule, thereby
avoiding the $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs from Canada and
Mexico recently authorized by the World Trade
Organization ("WTO"). The repeal, which drew
bipartisan support, took the form of a provision of the recently
passed federal spending bill. As discussed in previous Jones Day Updates, the WTO found that the COOL rule
violated international trade commitments. In response to concerns
about mad-cow disease and other food safety issues, the 2009 COOL
rule has required meat products to indicate where animals were
born, raised, and slaughtered before the meat could be considered
domestic. Now, beef and pork no longer have to comply with COOL
rules, although chicken and lamb must still be labeled. Following
the repeal, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA
would no longer enforce the COOL requirements for beef and pork,
although he assured consumers that "all imported and domestic
meat will continue to be subject to rigorous inspections by USDA to
ensure food safety."
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
