This release was issued under a previous government.
The Government of Alberta welcomed a ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that the U.S. Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) measure was in violation of its WTO trade obligations.
“We are very happy with this ruling,” said Evan Berger, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This is important for Alberta’s livestock producers as we are the largest beef producing province and fourth largest pork producing province in Canada. We appreciate the federal government’s efforts in taking this case forward.”
Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling has disrupted the North American marketplace and has had negative effects on Canada’s exports of cattle, hogs, beef and pork to the U.S. As of July 1, 2011, there were an estimated 5.5 million head of cattle and 1.51 million hogs in Alberta.
This is an important ruling for all Alberta’s exporters. The U.S. is our largest trading partner and we look forward to returning to a level playing field.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
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Dave Burdek |
Ag Media Line |
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.