NFTC president praises USDA final rule on COOL

National Foreign Trade Council President Bill Reinsch issued a response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture making public its final rule to repeal U.S. country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef, chicken and pork.    National Foreign Trade Council President Bill Reinsch issued a response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture making public its final rule to repeal U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, chicken and pork.
   “Today’s repeal of COOL requirements is a wise decision to comply with our international obligations,” Reinsch said in a statement. “It not only demonstrates our nation’s commitment to a rules-based trading system, but also avoids costly retaliation from regional trade partners. Following years of inaction, we can finally put the dispute to rest and forge a more prosperous future for all of North America.”
   In May 2015, the WTO ruled for the fourth and final time that the United States’ mandatory COOL law violates international trade agreements. As a result of the WTO’s ruling, Canada and Mexico could have imposed retaliatory sanctions and tariffs if the U.S. failed to address the COOL law.