Ottawa - The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) welcomes the strong endorsement of the U.S. House of Representatives to rescind Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) for pork, beef and other meats. The bill, sponsored by House Agriculture Committee Chair Michael Conaway (R-TX), passed 300 to 131.
"This is encouraging", said CPC Vice-Chair Bill Wymenga. "The House moved very quickly to remedy the WTO condemnation of COOL. We have waited far too long for justice.
Mr. Wymenga led a CPC delegation in Washington reaching out to Congressional leaders to secure a prompt and effective legislative solution to this long and costly dispute. He was accompanied by trade advisor Peter Clark, Manitoba Pork general manager Andrew Dickson and CPC executive director Martin Rice.
"Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced our WTO damage claim is over $3 billion. This is massive" Mr. Wymenga explained. He added, "Canadian hog producers have suffered much since COOL was introduced in 2008. The US response to the first two rulings made the situation worse. We appreciate the Government of Canada's strong support. Without it this bill would not have been introduced, much less passed."
CPC Chair Rick Bergmann said "We want Congress to change US legislation to restore our competitive opportunities. Having retaliation rights will help in the negotiation process - but we want to resolve the problem now and thus avoid escalation."
Mr. Wymenga, who farms near Blenheim, Ontario, concluded:"The House has acted. Now the focus is the Senate ... we have their attention. Hopefully, their hearts and minds will soon follow."
The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, the organization's purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.
Source: CPC