Congressman Harris Protects Maryland Agriculture and Trade

Cosponsors Legislation to Repeal COOL Requirements in Manufacturing-

WASHINGTON, DC: Recently, Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) cosponsored a bill to repeal mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork, and chicken products. H.R. 2393 would revise the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal the COOL requirements, which were issued in 2013. These requirements essentially call for meat packaging to provide more detailed information about where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered.

“Farmers and manufacturers across Maryland depend on trade with foreign countries, and repealing the COOL requirements will ensure that trade critical to the Maryland economy will continue without possible retaliation from neighboring countries,” said Congressman Harris.

Recently, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the COOL requirements violate international trade agreements. Many worry that this ruling could result in retaliations from two of the United States’ biggest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, in the form of billions of dollars of new tariffs on U.S. agriculture, food, and manufacturing. This would include tariffs on poultry exports, an important part of the Eastern Shore economy.

“This bill is a targeted effort to protect U.S. farmers and manufacturers’ trade in the international community, in light of the WTO’s recent decision. We must take immediate action to ensure current trade agreements continue between the United States, Canada, and Mexico,” added Congressman Harris.

Farming and agriculture are a crucial part of the United States economy, especially in Maryland and the First Congressional District. In the state of Maryland, more than 350,000 jobs are agriculture-related, making agriculture the number one economic industry, which totals more than $2.3 billion in gross sales. Congressman Harris sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and has fought to promote and protect the Maryland agriculture and poultry industries.