U.S. senator backs meat labelling law
A visiting American politician who sits on a U.S. Senate agriculture committee supports a contentious country-of-origin labelling law.
Saxby Chambliss, a Republican senator from Georgia, was in Saskatchewan for meetings on a variety of issues, including agricultural trade.
Premier Brad Wall said Saturday the labelling law stifles trade.
"We believe it's a non-tariff barrier to trade," Wall said. "What we would prefer rather is a North American label."
The American legislation, known as COOL (Country of Origin Labelling), requires meat processed in the U.S. but made from Canadian livestock to be labelled as Canadian.
'Having a Canadian label on that is not so bad.' —U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss
Canadian producers say the law has cost them sales because many U.S. food processors are motivated to promote "Made in America" products.
Wall made some strong points about the law, Chambliss said, but he was not moved.
"Premier Wall has been very vocal and very forceful in his arguments relative to Country of Origin Labelling," Chambliss said Saturday. "But it's American policy now, so obviously I'm a supporter of it."
Canadian food products are high quality, Chambliss said.
"Consumers in America appreciate the fact that countries like Canada — which is our largest trading partner — provide a safe,and a secure and a quality agricultural product," he said. "Having a Canadian label on that is not so bad."
Canada has launched a formal complaint about the mandatory labelling with the World Trade Organization.
"It's in the hands of the WTO now," Chambliss said. "[Canada] made their arguments, we'll be making ours, and the WTO will make a decision on it."
Chambliss conceded the U.S. law has proven to be a problem for Canada's livestock industry.
"There are issues … particularly to livestock, that present some problems," he said. "We know and understand that. We're still in the process of implementing Country of Origin Labelling and, frankly, that's one of the issues that we're trying to work through, because it is somewhat of a problem."