WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today is pleased to announce Senate passage of mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) repeal for beef and pork in the year-end funding bill. The bill is headed to the President to be signed into law.
“U.S. exporters can now breathe a sigh of relief,” said Chairman Roberts. “From the ranchers in Kansas to the jewelry makers on the East Coast, every state had something to lose from keeping mandatory COOL intact. Those worries can now be put to rest, and I’m proud to say the Senate has voted to protect the American economy. Again, I thank House Agriculture Committee Chairman Conaway for leading the charge in the House.”
COOL, first authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill and amended in the 2008 Farm Bill, was found by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to violate trade agreements made between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The WTO announced last week that Canada and Mexico can soon legally retaliate against American-made exported goods in the form of over $1 billion in tariffs.
During the 2014 Farm Bill negotiations, Senator Roberts pushed for COOL repeal. In June 2015, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on COOL and trade retaliation. Chairman Roberts has also spoken on the Senate floor regarding COOL retaliation and introduced legislation to repeal COOL and prevent retaliation.
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