This week, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said he doesn’t think there’s a regulatory fix to Country of Origin Labeling that would satisfy the World Trade Organization. Earlier the WTO ruled that consumers have a right to know the origin of their food but the U.S. law has some components that are trade distorting. U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Jess Peterson says that report is not an official statement from USDA and consumer’s right to know is still upheld by the WTO.
Peterson says the ball is now in Canada’s court. He says Canadian Ag Minister Gerry Ritz needs to make known what they think the U.S. should do to come into compliance with the WTO ruling.
The WTO agreed with Canadian and Mexican meat producers who had challenged the legality of the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling law saying it creates a technical barrier to trade as it discriminates against meat imports.