Canadian ag groups are continuing to weigh in on the latest USA label rule - that’s the newest guidance that a voluntary ‘Made in the USA’ label can only be used on meat products from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the U.S.
In 2015, the World Trade Organization upheld a ruling saying American Country of Origin label rules discriminated against Canadian and Mexican livestock exports into the United States.
“Adding the word ‘voluntary’ does seem like an effort to say, ‘Oh, we’re not dictating terms,’ but a lesson I thought we had learned in 2015 was that the integrated market between Canada and the U.S. works pretty well,” said Canadian Pork Council Executive Director Stephen Heckbert. “Introducing any kind of regulation into that mix will disrupt supply chains, it will make it harder for folks to do business, so this is a solution looking for a problem.”
Heckbert says the best way to resolve the issue is to let the market dictate the terms. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he doesn’t believe the rule will cause trade issues.
