Perth-Wellington MP John Nater says he is pleased with the results of the U.S. congressional vote, which repealed Country of Origin Labelling (COOL).
“The repeal of the harmful COOL legislation in the US is a major step forward for Canada’s agricultural industry,” said Nater in a Dec. 21 press release. “The potential damages to the beef and pork industry could have reached just over $3 billion annually if this legislation had not been repealed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture even estimated that COOL would cost U.S. consumers billions of dollars without providing them with any quantifiable benefit.
“I would like to commend the Canadian agricultural stakeholders, some of whom are located in Perth-Wellington, who have worked hard on this for over a decade. I would also like to thank our former federal agricultural minister Gerry Ritz for his tireless work on this file,” Nater continued.
Meeting stakeholders
“Our Conservative Opposition will continue to stand resolutely with Canadian farmers to make sure their interests are heard in Ottawa. I have already begun to meet with key agricultural stakeholders in the riding, and look forward to meeting with more in the New Year,” Nater added.
COOL requirements for beef, pork and other meats were created in the 2002 U.S. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act.
Canada was recently granted the right to impose $1 billion in punitive tariffs on various U.S. products, after the World Trade Organization found this legislation violated international trade rules.
