Calling For Clarity: Attorney Generals are pushing for correct “Product of USA” labeling

“It’s a falsehood to call beef from another country ‘Product of the USA.’”

South Dakota’s Attorney General is among those pushing for stronger rules on the “Product of the USA” label for beef.

Marty Jackley says that it is similar to the “Country of Origin Labeling” push from years past.

“It’s the same concept. So, what we’ve experienced across the United States and here in South Dakota is there’s a mislabeling of beef by certain manufacturers. What we have going is that beef is coming in from Mexico and other places, and they’re putting ‘Product of the USA’ labeling on it. So, a couple of ranchers here in South Dakota filed a lawsuit. We filed a brief to assist. We initially won, and it was appealed by the manufacturers, and so I led a group of about a dozen us Attorneys General, Republican and Democrat— they’re standing up for ranchers and saying we have high-quality beef in the United States, and here in South Dakota, we take pride in our herds. We keep our herds safe and healthy, vaccinations and other sometimes costly means to keep that herd healthy, and we just feel it’s a mislabeling, and it’s a falsehood to call beef from another country ‘Product of the USA.’”

The case could advance as far as the Supreme Court.

Jackley says that when the manufacturers appealed to the 8th Circuit, he knew he needed support from other Attorneys General.

Related Stories
Cattle imports from Mexico remain stalled amid the New World screwworm outbreak. At the same time, Tyson closures add pressure on Nebraska producers and markets ahead of the USDA’s upcoming Cattle on Feed Report.
The Lexington shutdown pushes national slaughter capacity utilization nearer long-run averages, underscoring how tight cattle supplies are reshaping packer operations.
The newly elected Executive Vice President of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association (TCA), Dale Parker, joins us on-set to share his vision for his state’s cattle industry.
Tyson’s capacity cuts weaken local basis, tighten kill space, and heighten dependence on imports, signaling more volatility for producers.
Tyson’s Nebraska plant closure and falling Cattle on Feed numbers send cattle markets tumbling. Analysts warn of tighter supplies, weak margins, and rising global competition.
One trader said the products entering the U.S. are primarily grind and trim, noting that the volume and type of beef, on its own, should not cause a major disruption. However, he says fund traders are reacting heavily to headlines rather than market realities.

Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.