From WATTAgNet:The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico in a dispute with the United States over country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on meat.According to a WTO report, the labeling rules unfairly discriminate against meat imports and give the advantage to domestic meat products. But the WTO compliance panel also found that the labels provide U.S. consumers with information on the origin of their food, countering Canada and Mexico’s assertion that the labels do not serve their intended purpose."Canada and Mexico will remain vigilant to ensure the harm generated by the protectionist … policy is brought to an end and that international trade commitments are respected," the two countries’ trade and agriculture ministers said in a statement.U.S pork and beef producers have urged Congress to fix the rules or scrap the policy altogether to avoid retaliation. In a joint statement, the North American Meat Association and the American Meat Institute also lauded the WTO’s decision.“USDA’s mandatory COOL rule is not only onerous and burdensome on livestock producers and meat packers and processors, it does not bring the U.S. into compliance with its WTO obligations,” the joint statement read. “By being out of compliance, the U.S. is subject to retaliation from Canada and Mexico that could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars.”