US exports threatened by COOL ruling

The World Trade Organization is expected to issue a final ruling soon on Mexico and Canada’s challenge of US country-of-origin labeling regulations for red meat.

A ruling against the United States could give Canada and Mexico the green light to impose retaliatory tariffs on imports of some US product, reports National Hog Farmer.

Impact on US market share

Chad Russell, US Meat Export Federation regional director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, notes that US pork was one of the products targeted in the North American Free Trade Agreement trucking dispute with Mexico in 2011, and even the moderate tariffs imposed at that time had an impact on US market share.

In 2014, US pork exports to Mexico were 680,843 metric tons valued at $1.55 billion. First-quarter 2015 exports topped last year’s record pace by 7% in volume, reaching 179,507 metric tons. Last year’s beef exports to Mexico totaled 242,566 metric tons valued at $1.17 billion. First-quarter exports were slightly below last year’s pace in volume but 4% higher in value at $285 million.

For more information on COOL ruling, see also:

Industry groups drop COOL lawsuit

COOL trade ruling on pork appealed

US: NFU president responds to WTO COOL ruling