R-CALF members are disappointed that Congressional negotiators left mandatory country of origin labeling out of the agreement that likely will be voted on in the House next week. R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says without M-COOL in the USMCA, it leaves all the detrimental components of the original NAFTA in place that’s bad for independent U.S. cattle producers.
He says under the old NAFTA the U.S. cattle producers remain plagued by an annual deficit of over $1 billion a year as the U.S. buys far more beef and cattle from Canada and Mexico than the U.S. sells to them. Bullard says the USMCA would have been the easiest and cleanest way to reinstate M-COOL so now they’ll have to work legislatively to get it reinstated.
Bullard says another reason Mandatory COOL is needed is that voluntary country of origin labeling was in effect from 2002 to 2006 but didn’t work.
Bullard says R-CALF will oppose the USMCA when it comes up for a vote next week unless Congress goes back and restores mandatory country of origin labeling.
