By Bruce Cochrane
The chair of the Canadian Pork Council remains hopeful the U.S. will address concerns over Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling before Canada and Mexico are in a position to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports.
In November the U.S. filed its final appeal in a series of World Trade Organization rulings that U.S. Country of Origin Labelling discriminates against imported livestock from Canada and Mexico in violation of U.S. trade obligations, and that appeal was heard last week in Geneva.
Canadian Pork Council chair Rick Bergmann says a decision is expected this spring at which point the WTO will provide guidance on retaliation and tariffs could be in place by fall.
Rick Bergmann-Canadian Pork Council:
They've actually lost three times in regards to all of this and we're anticipating that the WTO is going to continue to have the same answer as what they've had numerous times prior and that would be that Canada and Mexico are being discriminated against in this regard.
When that occurs, when the WTO does come out with their findings on the protectionism then the clock really starts ticking fast.
What will occur is that the WTO will then mention to Canada and to Mexico that we can impose retaliatory measures on products coming into Canada from the United States.
A retaliation is something that we'd prefer not to go forward with however we are determined we will because of the level of hurt that's this has all created.
Bergmann says there's great concern in every state that does business with Canada.
He says whether it's apples, pork, wine or other commodities, the people on the grassroots do not want retaliation and they do not want the discrimination that COOL has caused.
Source: Farmscape