Statement from Ministers Ritz and Fast on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL)

Jun 18, 2015

Ottawa, Ontario - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. decision to seek arbitration at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the amount of damages caused by COOL. The decision comes after Canada requested WTO authority to impose retaliatory tariffs of more than $3 billion annually on U.S. exports due to damages caused by COOL.

"Canada is disappointed that the U.S. is attempting to prolong the WTO process by requesting arbitration."

"The U.S. is out of options and retaliation cannot be avoided by drawing out this process."

"The Chief Economist for the United States Department of Agriculture has stated that COOL is costing the American industry alone some $2.6 billion (USD) annually. Canada is confident in our assessment that COOL is causing more than $3 billion in annual damages to the Canadian cattle and hog industry."

"In all previous rulings, ‎the WTO has found Canada’s economic analysis regarding COOL to be robust. Our analysis was quantified by Daniel Sumner, a world-renowned specialist in agricultural economics."

"Our government’s position remains unchanged. The only way for the United States to avoid billions in retaliation by late summer is to ensure legislation repealing COOL passes the Senate and is signed by the President."

Source: AAFC

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.