Rooney: COOL Repeal Only Option to Prevent Trade War

Press Release

U.S. Representative Tom Rooney (FL-17), a member of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, said that bipartisan legislation passed by the House yesterday to repeal mandatory County of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork and chicken products is critical to preventing a trade war between the U.S. and two of its largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico.

"We have no other option," Rooney said. "If we don't act now to repeal COOL, we'll be subjecting our farmers and manufacturers to crippling retaliation and tariffs. Passing this bill is the only way to avoid a trade war that could devastate Florida's farmers and ranchers, hamper our state's economic growth, and damage agriculture and manufacturing industries across the country."

The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled on May 18 that the COOL requirements violate U.S. trade agreements. As Rooney predicted, the ruling prompted Canada to seek WTO authorization to impose more than $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, and Mexico is expected to follow suit. In total, $202 million in exports from Florida are projected to face retaliatory tariffs if Congress does not repeal COOL.

Rooney was an original cosponsor of H.R. 2393, the Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act, which the House approved by a bipartisan vote of 300-131.

Source