(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. official urges deal on COOL clash

Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — A negotiated solution is the best way to resolve a trade dispute with Canada and Mexico over meat labeling in the short term, a U.S. official said Monday. A World Trade Organization compliance panel said earlier the U.S. has not done enough to change its country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules after losing […] Read more

(WTO.org)

Revised U.S. COOL law still breaks trade rules, WTO panel finds

Reading Time: 4 minutes A World Trade Organization compliance panel has ruled the U.S. government offside in its latest attempt at a trade-compliant country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law on meat. Following a long-awaited public release Monday, the ruling may give Canada and Mexico the ammunition to demand COOL be scrapped, on pain of retaliatory tariffs against a range of U.S.-made […] Read more


Federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz.

Blood, sweat & deals

After a landmark 2013, Gerry Ritz sets his goals for the future shape of Canadian Agriculture

Reading Time: 5 minutes Gerry Ritz knows how to make news, whether it’s at an Ottawa media scrum, or if it’s 42 C and he is standing over a barbecue — in a leather apron — cooking beef in China. After years of closed borders to Canadian beef, China had just opened to young animals. That particular Canada Day […] Read more