The federal minister of agriculture has made it clear he is not happy with proposed changes by the United States on country of origin labelling.
Gerry Ritz said in a statement that his government was "extremely disappointed with the proposed regulatory changes put forward by the United States last week.
"We do not believe that the proposed changes will bring the United States into compliance with its WTO obligations."
The COOL program requires U.S. retailers to provide country of origin labeling for items such as beef, pork and lamb.
The program has previously run afoul of the World Trade Organization, where both a WTO panel and later an appellate body found the U.S. requirements discriminated against Canadian and Mexican livestock imports.
March 8, a proposed rule change was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As outlined by the department in that release the proposed rule would modify the labelling provisions for muscle cut covered commodities to require origin designations to include information about where each of the production steps - where cattle were born, raised or slaughtered - occurred, and also would remove the allowance for commingling of muscle cuts.
The U.S. agriculture department believes the changes will bring the United States into compliance with the WTO.
Ritz, who has spoken out against COOL frequently during his time as minister of agriculture and MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster, made clear that the latest changes were not acceptable.
"The proposed changes will increase the discrimination against exports of cattle and hogs from Canada and increase damages to Canadian industry," Ritz stated. "Our government will consider all options, including retaliatory measures, should the U.S. not achieve compliance by May 23, 2013, as mandated by the WTO."
Ritz further stated the government would continue to "stand with Canadian cattle and hog producers against unfair country of origin labeling in the (United States)."
