The WTO dispute panel ruling on American country-of-origin labelling legislation will have broad implications for international trade, according to the general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council.

"There are all kinds of issues here regarding consumerism and the rights of countries to keep citizens informed on products. There are interpretations of what is meant in some of these World Trade Agreements. The rulings that come from this panel will have huge implications for a wide variety of other trade issues," explains Andrew Dickson, who has represented Manitoba producers at the oral hearings in Geneva.

"The EU is developing a new very extensive regime. It could seriously erode market access benefits under CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.) If the panel does not clearly comdemn the protectionist abuses of the US COOL measures, country-of-origin labelling could become one of the new non-tariff measures of choice," says Peter Clark, the Canadian Pork Council's International Trade Counsel.

The US is arguing COOL was developed as a result of consumer demand.

"That is the US position. It's a weak one but they have to try to promote it," says Dickson. "Canada has never argued that there shouldn't be some form of country-of-origin labeling. Consumers, if they desire, should have that information provided to them,  but our argument is it should be done in a way that it doesn't impede the ability of a country like Canada to compete in the US marketplace."

Dickson says he's confident in Canada's case.

"My impression, because I want it to be successful, is that the Canadian government delegation has done a wonderful job presenting our case. They presented it extremely strongly. From a legal point of view we had strong arguments to make and from a factual basis there was a very clear case about the negative impact and unfairness it has created in the marketplace in the United States," he says.

Negotiators are wrapping up written responses in followup to questions coming out of the oral hearings in Geneva. Written responses to the panel's questions are due on December 20th. Comments and rebuttals regarding those responses are to be submitted by January 6th. It's expected the panel will make a decision and issue a final report by late July, 2011.



~ Friday, December 17, 2010 ~