Sep 15, 2026 · 5 min · 4 segments
The White House recently ordered the Department of Agriculture to prepare a report as part of efforts that may eventually result in mandatory country of origin labeling requirements for beef. By…
Alvaro FerreiraHost
As you may recall, we recently discussed how in August 26, President Trump issued a proclamation temporarily lowering import duties on lean beef trimmings combined with US beef to produce ground beef.
According to a White House fact sheet, the proclamation expands the in quota amount under this TRQ by a total of three hundred thousand metric tons.
This increase will be administered in three-month long tranches of a hundred thousand metric tons each that will be open in September, October, and November.
It will apply to lean beef trimmings classifiable under HTSUS, uh, zero two zero one three zero fifty ninety-one, zero two zero one three zero fifty ninety-seven, zero two zero two three zero fifty ninety-one, and zero two zero two three zero fifty ninety-seven.
More recently, the White House ordered a report on mandatory country of origin labeling for beef.
More specifically, an executive order dated September fourth directs the US Department of Agriculture to submit within ninety days a report on all statutory and regulatory a- authorities that may permit the establishment of mandatory country of origin labeling, or COOL, for beef s- fe- beef products, as well as an economic analysis of the impacts of such a requirement that reflects current conditions and modernized practices.
Based on these assessments, the USDA may issue or amend its regulations to require mandatory COOL for beef products or develop legislative recommendations regarding such labeling.
You may remember that a previously mandatory COOL requirement for beef was repealed in 2015 after a successful challenge at the World Trade Organization because it was found to harm Canadian and Mexican producers, essentially.
That dispute dragged on for years and involved certain mandatory COOL provisions in the Agricultural Marketing Act of, uh, 1946, as amended by the 2008 Farm Bill and as implemented through an interim final rule dated July 28th, uh, 2008.
These COOL requirements included the obligation to inform consumers at the retail level of the country of origin in respect to covered commodities, including beef and pork.
Under those provisions, the eligibility for a desig- designation of a covered commodity as exclusively having a US origin could only be derived from an animal that was exclusively born, raised, and slaughtered in the US.
This excluded such a des- a designation in respect of beef or pork derived from livestock exported to the US for feed or immediate slaughter.
Will we see new COOL requirements on beef at some point in the medium term, and will this lead to further quarrels on the trade front? I am sure I'll be thinking about that further tonight over a juicy ribeye.
As you may recall, we recently discussed how in August 26, President Trump issued a proclamation temporarily lowering import duties on lean beef trimmings combined with US beef to produce ground beef.
According to a White House fact sheet, the proclamation expands the in quota amount under this TRQ by a total of three hundred thousand metric tons.
This increase will be administered in three-month long tranches of a hundred thousand metric tons each that will be open in September, October, and November.
It will apply to lean beef trimmings classifiable under HTSUS, uh, zero two zero one three zero fifty ninety-one, zero two zero one three zero fifty ninety-seven, zero two zero two three zero fifty ninety-one, and zero two zero two three zero fifty ninety-seven.
More recently, the White House ordered a report on mandatory country of origin labeling for beef.
More specifically, an executive order dated September fourth directs the US Department of Agriculture to submit within ninety days a report on all statutory and regulatory a- authorities that may permit the establishment of mandatory country of origin labeling, or COOL, for beef s- fe- beef products, as well as an economic analysis of the impacts of such a requirement that reflects current conditions and modernized practices.
Based on these assessments, the USDA may issue or amend its regulations to require mandatory COOL for beef products or develop legislative recommendations regarding such labeling.
You may remember that a previously mandatory COOL requirement for beef was repealed in 2015 after a successful challenge at the World Trade Organization because it was found to harm Canadian and Mexican producers, essentially.
That dispute dragged on for years and involved certain mandatory COOL provisions in the Agricultural Marketing Act of, uh, 1946, as amended by the 2008 Farm Bill and as implemented through an interim final rule dated July 28th, uh, 2008.
These COOL requirements included the obligation to inform consumers at the retail level of the country of origin in respect to covered commodities, including beef and pork.
Under those provisions, the eligibility for a desig- designation of a covered commodity as exclusively having a US origin could only be derived from an animal that was exclusively born, raised, and slaughtered in the US.
This excluded such a des- a designation in respect of beef or pork derived from livestock exported to the US for feed or immediate slaughter.
Will we see new COOL requirements on beef at some point in the medium term, and will this lead to further quarrels on the trade front? I am sure I'll be thinking about that further tonight over a juicy ribeye.
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