Bipartisan Bill to Reinstate COOL for Beef Reintroduced
Four Republicans and two Democrats reintroduced the American Beef Labeling Act in the Senate, a bill that would direct the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant way to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling for beef.
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Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, both Republicans from South Dakota, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., are lead sponsors of the legislation. The bill is the same as one that was introduced in 2021 (see 2109090054).
The previous country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef triggered a dispute among the U.S., Mexico and Canada that the U.S. lost at the WTO (see 1512070017), leading to retaliatory tariffs, and ultimately, the end of mandatory COOL.
Thune said in a press release announcing the bill: “To ensure the viability of cattle ranching in this country, the system in which producers operate must be fair and transparent. As a long-time supporter of [mandatory COOL], I am proud to lead this legislation, and I will continue fighting to get it signed into law.”