Source: MEATINGPLACE, 5/21/15


Canada and Mexico are working together to determine damages stemming from the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law and will no doubt impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, an executive with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said on Thursday.

Chad Russell, regional director of USMEF for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, predicted juice, fruit, meat and electronics will be some of the U.S. products that will become targets for retaliatory tariffs.

“They will be very calculating in their approach,” looking at what products come from the congressional districts of U.S. senators who voted in favor of COOL, said Russell, who is based in Mexico City.

“There is no doubt they will retaliate,” he said on a conference call for the media held during the USMEF’s board meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

On Monday, a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel rejected Washington’s appeal of an October 2014 ruling declaring the COOL law in violation of international trade law.

Canada and Mexico have led a charge against COOL, which requires U.S., Canadian and Mexican livestock to be segregated from birth and identified on meat labeling. The countries contend it depresses the value of their livestock.

Monday’s WTO ruling authorizes those two countries to impose billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods as early as late summer.

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