Dairy Groups Urge Compliance on COOL Issues
US - US dairy industry associations have said it is critical that Congress solve the trade dispute over country-of-origin labelling, to head off damaging new tariffs on US dairy exports by Canada and Mexico.
20 October 2015
2 minute read
In a letter to the Senate, the National Milk Producers Federation, US Dairy Export Council and International Dairy Foods Association expressed “growing apprehension” that retaliatory tariffs are drawing closer, under a finding that said parts of the US country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law violate World Trade Organisation rules.
“(We) urge the Senate to pass legislation to bring the US into compliance with its WTO obligations without further delay,” the groups said.
In spring, the WTO ruled against the US COOL program, saying that Canada and Mexico could retaliate against US exports in response. American dairy products have been on Canada’s target list for retaliatory tariffs resulting from the ruling.
“Retaliation against dairy products would come at a particularly challenging time for our industry, given the currently depressed global dairy market,” said NMPF, USDEC and IDFA.
“Multiple cooperatives have already been faced at times this year with oversupplies of milk, causing them to dispose of excess milk at a loss. Retaliatory tariffs would back up exports further onto the US market during this time of overly abundant milk supplies.”
Any congressional solution, the groups added, must satisfy Canada and Mexico because those two countries would retain their right to retaliate against the United States until a lengthy WTO arbitration process is concluded. “US dairy producers and processors cannot risk getting mired down in that drawn-out process,” they said.
The three groups asked the Senate to work together “to put in place an outcome that Canada and Mexico agree resolves this issue.”
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