http://www.vancouversun.com/life/grants more time deal with labelling/5956259/story.html#ixzz1ihiHx400
The World Trade Organization gave the U.S., Canada and Mexico an extra two months to decide whether to appeal a November ruling that found American country-of-origin labelling provisions unfairly hurt agricultural commerce.
The three governments now have until March 23 to challenge the judges' finding that U.S. requirements for food processors to identify the nations from which cattle, hogs and some fresh produce originate break global trade rules, the WTO said in a statement in Geneva. Canada and Mexico had argued that the provisions impose unfair costs on their exports, reducing their competitiveness. They lodged their complaints in December 2008, disputing provisions of the U.S. Food, Conservation and Energy Act that impose mandatory country-of-origin labelling for beef, pork, chicken, lamb and goat as well as some perishables sold by American retailers.
The requests to extend the deadline, initially set for Jan. 18, were made in light of the WTO Appellate Body's cur-rent workload, according to documents submitted by the three governments to the Geneva-based trade arbiter.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
The World Trade Organization gave the U.S., Canada and Mexico an extra two months to decide whether to appeal a November ruling that found American country-of-origin labelling provisions unfairly hurt agricultural commerce.
The three governments now have until March 23 to challenge the judges' finding that U.S. requirements for food processors to identify the nations from which cattle, hogs and some fresh produce originate break global trade rules, the WTO said in a statement in Geneva. Canada and Mexico had argued that the provisions impose unfair costs on their exports, reducing their competitiveness. They lodged their complaints in December 2008, disputing provisions of the U.S. Food, Conservation and Energy Act that impose mandatory country-of-origin labelling for beef, pork, chicken, lamb and goat as well as some perishables sold by American retailers.
The requests to extend the deadline, initially set for Jan. 18, were made in light of the WTO Appellate Body's cur-rent workload, according to documents submitted by the three governments to the Geneva-based trade arbiter.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
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