In the 107th Congress, several pieces of legislation have been introduced to require country-of-origin labels on meats, fresh produce and frozen foods. Such legislation, if enacted, would increase costs to food manufacturers, retailers and consumers, and could harm efforts to expand international markets for U.S. products while doing nothing to further ensure the safety of the domestic food supply. Similar bills expanding labeling requirements were introduced in the 106th Congress and hearings were held in both the House and Senate, but none of the proposals were enacted.

S. 280, the "Consumer Right-to-Know Act of 2001," introduced by Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), would mandate that retailers label meat, and fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables as to the country of origin. H.R. 1121, the “Country of Origin Meat Labeling Act of 2001,” introduced by Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), would require such labels on meat, while the “Produce Consumers’ Right-to-Know Act,” H.R. 1605 sponsored by Representatives Mary Bono (R-CA) and Gary Condit (D-CA), would require such labels on perishable agriculture commodities. In addition, Representative Mike Ross (D-AR) has introduced a bill, H.R. 2439, to require country-of-origin labels on farm-raised fish, and Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) has sponsored legislation, S. 144, to require labels on peanuts and peanut products.

During consideration of the farm bill in July 2001, the House Agriculture Committee rejected an amendment offered by Representative John Thune (R-SD) that would have required country-of-origin labeling on beef, pork, lamb, vegetables, fruits and farm-raised fish. An attempt by Representative Ross to include labeling for catfish was ruled out of order. However, the House passed an amendment offered by Representative Bono, which mandates country-of-origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables.

In the Senate Agriculture Committee, the entire “competition” title, which included country of origin labeling, was struck from the farm bill. However, an amendment offered by Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) to mandate country of origin labeling for beef, pork, lamb, fresh fruits and vegetables, peanuts, and farm-raised fish (wild fish were added later), passed the committee on an 11-10 vote. The provision remained in the final Senate bill, which passed in February 2002. This issue is one of several hotly debated items in the farm bill conference committee.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) reported in a congressionally mandated study on its findings on country-of-origin labeling for fresh produce. The GAO found that this type of policy would be extremely costly and serve little if any benefit to consumers. · Any proposed legislation which calls for country-of-origin labeling for meat, will have the enormous potential to injure an entire industry, including the producer segment, which it is obviously trying to protect.

· Enacting legislation could cause retaliation from other countries, which will likely adopt similar measures to impede the exportation of U.S. meats. Such action by the U.S. would create a scenario for other countries seeking mechanisms to limit growth on U.S. imports of meat products. Given that the value of our meat exports is much larger than the value of our imports and growing, the proposed legislation risks much for little apparent gain.

· Proponents of country-of-origin labeling restrictions contend that such information is necessary to satisfy "consumers' right to know." However, very little information has been presented which would indicate that more stringent marking requirements would be of any value to consumers. Labeling initiatives are being driven not by consumer interests but by protectionist producer interests and should be dismissed as unjustifiable non-tariff trade barriers.

· U.S. food producers have benefited substantially from bipartisan efforts to eliminate barriers to U.S. food exports. It is critical to the U.S. agriculture and food industry that we continue to focus on opening new markets, not on closing our own.

GMA POSITION

GMA is a member of a food industry trade coalition opposing mandatory country-of-origin labeling on meats, fresh produce, frozen foods, and other commodities and will continue to work with coalition partners in opposition to this kind of legislation.

Staff Contacts

• David Stafford
  

• Gene Grabowski
  

• H.R. 222 Imported Meat Labeling Act
  
• H.R. 2995 Requiring front panel country-of-origin labeling
  
• S. 242 Meat Labeling Act
  
• S. 251 Federal Meat Inspection Act Amendment
  

BUZZ
• January 14, 2000  Country-of-Origin Labels - USDA Report Says Labels Could Damage Trade; Costs Could Be Significant
COMMENT
• April 9, 2003  Country of Origin Labeling Regulations under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
• August 30, 2002  Pre-proposal Comments on Implementation of the "Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002"
• August 9, 2002  Comments on Country of Origin Labeling Provisions in the Farm Bill
CORRESPONDENCE
• February 8, 2000  GMA Urges Opposition to Maryland House Bill 69, To Require Labeling of Country-of-Origin of Crabmeat
• November 3, 1999  Food Industry Trade Coalition Urges Lawmakers to Oppose HR 2925; Proposed Change in Product Origin Marking Would Impose Trade Barrier
NEWS RELEASE
• April 9, 2003   GMA CALLS FOR REVISIONS TO COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING
  Proposed USDA Regulations Should Remain Voluntary Only
• April 28, 1999  COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN BILLS WOULD LIMIT GROWTH OF U.S. EXPORTS, GMA TELLS HOUSE PANEL
• April 21, 1999  GMA: GAO REPORT CONFIRMS COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN FOOD LABELS ARE COSTLY, INEFFECTIVE
• February 10, 1998  GMA ENTERS BATTLE TO PROTECT CONSUMERS AGAINST MISLABELED PRODUCTS
• February 4, 1998  GROCERY MANUFACTURERS CALL LATEST REGULATORY BILLS "DUPLICATIVE AND UNNECESSARY"
TESTIMONY
• July 23, 2001  GMA, Coalition Urge Senate to Reject "Country of Origin" Labeling Proposal
• July 17, 2001  ICGMA Opposes "Country of Origin" labeling proposal by Australia/New Zealand
• March 7, 2001  Letter of Opposition to Montana Country-of-Origin Labeling Bill
• June 23, 1999  GMA Urges Veto Of Senate Bill 945
• April 28, 1999  Country-of-Origin Labeling for Meat and Produce