“The Canadian Cattle Association and Canada’s cattle industry are concerned about mandatory country of origin labelling (mCOOL) discussions and the potential impact of labelling requirements being reintroduced. We continue to monitor and advocate on behalf of producers with Governments and stakeholders on both sides of the border.
“With current record low cattle numbers, seamless integration is critical to optimize feedlot and processing capacity in both the U.S. and Canada. Reinstating mCOOL would undermine the highly integrated North American beef market. MCOOL would add significant costs to the North American beef industry and increase the cost of beef to consumers across North America. Compliance with mCOOL would require segregation throughout the supply chain and create additional traceability requirements and labelling costs.
“The original U.S. mCOOL measure was repealed in 2015 after the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in favour of Canada and Mexico, finding that the measure discriminated against imported livestock.
“The North American beef industry is uniquely integrated. CCA fully supports continued integration and the unrestricted and tariff- and barrier-free movement of cattle across borders to optimize weather and price conditions that benefit consumers everywhere.
“The U.S. and Canada have the largest two-way trade in live cattle and beef in the world. It is crucial to address any issues that threaten or diminish trade between the two countries. CCA is committed to working toward continued integration and supporting Canadian beef producers.”
Click here to see more...