BanderasNews
Puerto Vallarta Weather Report
Welcome to Puerto Vallarta's liveliest website!
Contact UsSearch
Why Vallarta?Vallarta WeddingsRestaurantsWeatherPhoto GalleriesToday's EventsMaps
 NEWS/HOME
 AROUND THE BAY
 AROUND THE REPUBLIC
 AMERICAS & BEYOND
 BUSINESS NEWS
 TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 WEIRD NEWS
 EDITORIALS
 ENTERTAINMENT
 VALLARTA LIVING
 PV REAL ESTATE
 TRAVEL / OUTDOORS
 HEALTH / BEAUTY
 SPORTS
 DAZED & CONFUSED
 PHOTOGRAPHY
 CLASSIFIEDS
 READERS CORNER
 BANDERAS NEWS TEAM
Sign up NOW!

Free Newsletter!

Puerto Vallarta News NetworkNews Around the Republic of Mexico 

Mexico: United States Practices Unfair Meat Labeling

go to original
May 23, 2013

The WTO ruled last year that a US program for labeling imported meat unfairly discriminated against Mexico, pressuring them to bring their scheme in line with global country-of-origin meat-labeling rules.

Mexico City, Mexico - The United States is not respecting a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on meat labeling, and it's hurting local industry, Mexico's Agriculture Minister Enrique Martinez said on Tuesday.

The WTO ruled in late June last year that a US program for labeling imported meat unfairly discriminated against Mexico and Canada, putting pressure on the United States to bring the scheme in line with global country-of-origin meat-labeling rules.

"We can't understand why once the very WTO issues a ruling, the government of the United States does not respect it," Martinez said.

"We have talked with beef producers in the United States and Canada, and totally agree this is an arbitrary decision and means discrimination against Mexican beef, which we will never agree with - and as a government will defend against."

Meat exporters in Canada and Mexico say the new rules would cut even deeper into cattle and hog shipments that have already slumped by as much as half in the last four years.

The Canadian government has threatened a possible retaliatory strike against US imports, and is hoping Mexico will join it.

The WTO Appellate Body said last year that United States "country-of-origin labeling rules," commonly known as COOL, were wrong because they gave less favorable treatment to beef and pork imported from Mexico and Canada compared to US meat.

Meat labels became mandatory in March 2009 after years of debate. US consumer groups and some farm groups supported the requirement, saying consumers should have information to distinguish between products from the United States, and foreign products.