The Manitoba government joins the Manitoba Pork Council, Manitoba Beef Producers Association and the Government of Canada in celebrating the success of Canada's challenge to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) action, Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn said Tuesday.
"This win proves COOL discriminates against Canadian hogs and cattle, and we congratulate the Canadian government on their determined pursuit of this action," said Minister Kostyshyn. "We stand firm with our cattle and hog producers who have suffered financially because of the U.S. government's noncompliance with earlier WTO rulings. We thank the federal government for its advocacy work supporting a North American meat industry in Washington, and events across the United States, in partnership with provincial governments and the pork and beef industries across Canada."
"Manitoba Beef Producers is pleased with the ruling from the World Trade Organization and join our national partners and the federal government in calling for the United States to repeal COOL," said Heinz Reimer, president, Manitoba Beef Producers. "COOL has cost the Canadian cattle industry more than $600 million annually and its repeal will have an immediate positive impact for cattle producers. We would like to thank the federal government for taking the lead against COOL and encourage them to push forward with retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. fails to comply with the WTO ruling."
Manitoba Pork salutes Monday's ruling by the WTO confirming that COOL put Canada and Mexico at a significant disadvantage in the marketplace.
Source : PortageOnline