Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, is proposing that the mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) be replaced by a voluntary program. The World Trade Organization has ruled that the current mandatory program discriminates against Canadian and Mexican products, and the two countries have the possibility of levying stiff tariffs on U.S. goods unless the law is repealed.
Stabenow said she hopes the simple approach “will help us find a solution that benefits American consumers and American agriculture, while also finding a pathway forward between the United States and our neighbors to the north and south.”