R-CALF files brief for COOL

At the beginning of the month, the Cattle Producers of Washington and R-CALF filed a brief for summary judgement in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Washington regarding an ongoing country-of-origin labeling (COOL) case. The brief requests the court “declare USDA’s failure to require the country-of-origin labels mandated by the Tariff Act unlawful,” and asserts the USDA is repackaging imported beef and pork with labels declaring it a “Product of the U.S.A.” “Put simply, the groups argue the USDA is unlawfully undermining their market for domestic cattle and their lawsuit is needed because the proper enforcement of labeling requirements on imported beef is central to domestic ranchers’ livelihood,” read the R-CALF announcement of the activities.