Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) joins with its national partners in celebrating the repeal of the United States Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) laws.
Both the US House of Representatives and Senate passed an omnibus spending bill that included language to repeal COOL. The bill was signed by President Barack Obama and the United States Department of Agriculture has announced they are no longer enforcing COOL requirements.
“This is truly a momentous day for the Canadian cattle industry,” said MBP President Heinz Reimer. “COOL has cost Canadian producers millions and severely impacted the industry on a number of levels. Manitoba producers have been hit especially hard as the United States market has long been a very important one for our members. We look forward to the resumption of an open and fair market with the United States.”
Reimer added that MBP would like to thank the many people who have been part of the long battle against COOL.
“There were times it seemed as though this was an unwinnable fight but the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association never stopped working for producers. We cannot thank them enough for their work.
“Our past and current federal government has also been steadfast in their support of Canadian producers. We thank Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay for their diligence on these files since taking office. Producers also owe a great deal of gratitude to former Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and former Trade Minister Ed Fast. Both men spent years fighting COOL and never wavered in their support.”
