The World Trade Organization will create a panel to decide on the validity of the U.S. Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law, according to reports.
This comes as Canada and Mexico claim the U.S. law burdens buyers with sorting and labeling of product, which negatively impacts meat exports and livestock industries in their countries.
The dispute panel is expected to produce a report in 2010 on whether COOL rules comply with U.S. WTO trade obligations.
Another WTO panel will investigate the long-time ban on U.S. poultry by the European Union due to the poultry’s anti-bacterial chemical treatment. This panel will also rule in 2010.
