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NFU urges Congress to reject COOL bill

The president of the National Farmers Union is urging Congress to reject the bill passed out of the House Ag Committee that would repeal parts of the Country of Origin Labeling law.

Roger Johnson says the committee “has succumbed to lobbying and scare tactics from foreign governments and multinational meatpackers” instead of allowing the WTO process to run its course.

Johnson says the bill repeals chicken as one of the commodities covered by COOL – which he says would allow “unlabeled Chinese chicken to be imported into the U.S.”

Johnson says the WTO ruling against the U.S. appeal is only step-one and Canada and Mexico are not authorized to retaliate yet.  He says arbitration will begin in the next month and take several months.