Country of Origin Labeling

 "In order to avoid what could be devastating retaliatory sanctions against U.S. businesses if we lose, the starting point needs to be that mandatory COOL for meat is a failed experiment which should be repealed. The House Agriculture Committee is prepared to lead on this issue. Our goal, which is shared by industry and consumers alike, is to provide stability, not to create uncertainty.”

-Chairman K. Michael Conaway

Country of Origin Labeling

First adopted in the 2002 Farm Bill, COOL has since been challenged in the World Trade Organization (WTO) by Canada and Mexico, main livestock exporters to the U.S., four times. Last month, the WTO's Appellate Body ruled against the United States’ Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for meat for the fourth and final time. As a result, Canada and Mexico, the United States’ top trade partners, will seek more than $3 billion annually in retaliatory sanctions against U.S. exports – products ranging from meat and wheat to wine, chocolate and even furniture. This will be needlessly destructive to our overall economy and will hurt nearly every industry, every state, and every consumer. 

 

Letters of Support for H.R. 2393, Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act

American Farm Bureau Federation

Cargill

Colorado Business Roundtable

Colorado Cattlemen's Association

Colorado Farm Bureau

Colorado Livestock Association

Colorado Retail Council

Commodity Markets Council and Commercial Energy Working Group

COOL Reform Coalition-101 groups

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

JBS

National Grocers Association

National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

National Cattlemen's Beef Association

National Pork Producers Council

Produce Marketing Association

Rocky Mountain Food Industry Association

Southwest Council of Agribusiness

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Texas Farm Bureau

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Wine America

Wisconsin Farm Bureau

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Today, Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement regarding legislation introduced by Senator Hoeven (R-ND) and Senator Stabenow (D-MI) that ties repeal of country of origin labeling (COOL) to both the elimination of existing market driven programs and the establishment of a so-called voluntary country of origin (COOL) labeling program for beef, pork, and chicken. This new voluntary program would operate under similar rules as the program found to violate U.S. international trade rules.

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Jun 25, 2015 | Press Release

In advance of today’s Senate hearing on U.S. country of origin labeling, Mexican and Canadian officials sent separate letters to Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairman and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, stating that a full repeal of COOL is the only option.

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Jun 24, 2015 | Press Release

Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway issued the following statement in response to new Senate legislation that contradicts the House-passed bill (H.R. 2393) which repeals mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, pork, and chicken. Introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the Senate legislation leaves in place several of these burdensome mandatory labeling requirements.

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Jun 10, 2015 | Press Release

Today, the House passed H.R. 2393, the Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act, by a vote of 300-131. Introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX), H.R. 2393 amends the Agriculture Marketing Act of 1946 to effectively repeal mandatory country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken.

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Jun 10, 2015 | Press Release

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2393, the Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015, and yield myself such time as I may consume. ‘Mandatory country of origin labeling is really a marketing program, a heavy-handed approach by this Federal Government to demand a marketing program that may or may not work.’

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Jun 8, 2015 | Press Release

Today, the COOL Reform Coalition sent Congress a letter to express strong support for H.R. 2393, the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Amendments Act of 2015. House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan bill, along with several of his colleagues, and the House Agriculture Committee approved the bill on May 20, 2015.

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May 20, 2015 | Press Release

Today, the House Agriculture Committee approved H.R. 2393, a bill to amend the Agriculture Marketing Act of 1946, by a recorded vote of 38-6. A combination of 68 Democrats and Republicans joined Chairman K. Michael Conaway in introducing this bipartisan bill that will effectively repeal country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken, while leaving intact the requirements for all other covered commodities.

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May 19, 2015 | Press Release

Today, House Agriculture Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) introduced H.R. 2393, a bill to repeal mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork, and chicken products. Chairman Conaway and his colleagues held a bipartisan press conference with representatives from industries that are targets of retaliation by Canada and Mexico.

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May 19, 2015 | Press Release

The World Trade Organization ruled against the U.S. for the fourth and final time in an ongoing dispute between the United States, Canada and Mexico regarding the U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) program. Retaliation by Canada and Mexico will soon become a reality, meaning economically devastating tariffs on a broad spectrum of U.S. exports, from meat and fruit to jewelry, furniture and biofuels. Ripple effects will be felt in nearly every industry, every state and every consumer’s wallet. This is why COOL for beef, pork and chicken — nothing more than a failed government experiment— must be repealed.

H.R. 2393, Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act

May 19, 2015 | Bill

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May 18, 2015 | Press Release

Today, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body ruled against the United States’ Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for meat, upholding the compliance panel’s report in finding against the United States. House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement upon the WTO’s announcement.

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May 1, 2015 | Press Release

Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) rejected the latest recommendation to establish a generic mandatory label option, an option typically referred to as a “Product of North America” label, should the U.S. lose its World Trade Organization (WTO) appeal regarding country of origin labeling (COOL) in the coming weeks.