July 31, 2014 – Denver, Colorado – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today addressed the U.S.’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) summer conference where he stressed the importance of ending the discrimination against Canadian cattle and hogs under mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) and emphasized the growing recognition that COOL is harming farmers and industry in the U.S. and Canada alike. Minister Ritz stressed that should Canada prevail in the compliance proceedings as anticipated, the Government will seek authorization from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports.
While in Denver, Minister Ritz took the opportunity to meet with key U.S. meat stakeholders, business and government leaders to discuss next steps for advocating against COOL in the coming months. Later today, Minister Ritz will also participate in a trilateral industry meeting between the NCBA, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Mexican Confederacion Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas.
COOL continues to significantly disrupt the North American supply chain, creating unpredictability in the market and imposed additional costs on producers on both sides of the border.
Following Canada’s successful challenges of COOL at the WTO in 2011 and 2012, a WTO compliance panel was established on September 25, 2013, to determine whether the U.S. has brought COOL into conformity.
Jeff English
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
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