Tag: WTO
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U.S. Chamber and NAM Urge Congress to Suspend COOL Rule
Senior executives from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce have co-authored an October 14, 2014, letter to members of Congress urging the lawmakers to “authorize and direct the Secretary of Agriculture to rescind elements of [country-of-origin labeling (COOL)] that have been determined to be noncompliant with international trade obligations by a…
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WTO Rejects Indian Restrictions on U.S. Poultry Imports
A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel has found that a series of food safety restrictions imposed by the Indian government on imports of U.S. poultry products was based on the inaccurate proposition that U.S. poultry was more likely to carry bird flu. India failed to distinguish between high-pathogenic bird flu that had not…
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WTO Reportedly Decides Against U.S. in COOL Dispute
According to the Wall Street Journal, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has decided for Canada and Mexico and against the United States in a battle over country-of-origin labeling (COOL) of meat products. The decision has reportedly been disclosed to the three governments and is expected to be made public in late September or early October,…
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Members of Congress Send Letter to USDA on COOL Regulations
In a letter signed by 110 members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Rick Crawford (R-Ariz.) have urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman to rescind the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements imposed on imports from Canada and Mexico if the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules against the…
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Food Industry Presses Politicians to Support Meat-Label Repeal
Several major food companies have sent a letter to four U.S. senators and representatives urging Congress to direct Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to suspend revised country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules on muscle cuts of meat because they discriminate against Canada and Mexico. The letter argues that if the WTO determines that the rule violates U.S.…
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D.C. Circuit Upholds COOL Regulations in Preliminary Injunction Context
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court ruling denying the motion for preliminary injunction filed by meat producer interests in litigation challenging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations requiring retailers of “muscle cuts” of meat to list the countries of origin and production (country-of-origin labeling or COOL) as to each step…
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WTO Member Delegations Challenge Chile’s Proposed “STOP” Sign Food Labels
During a recent meeting of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee, several member delegations expressed concerns about Chile’s proposed food health regulation amendments that would, among other things, require certain foods high in fat, sugar or salt to bear “STOP” sign-shaped warnings on 20 percent of the “main surface of…
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U.S. Cattle Ranchers Sue WTO over Ruling on Country of Origin Labeling Act
The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers Association (R-CALF USA) has filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief in a Colorado federal court against the World Trade Organization (WTO) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, alleging that WTO’s determination that the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling Act (COOL) imposes discriminatory burdens on…