Agricultural News
NCBA Lobbyist Colin Woodall Talks TPA and COOL- Hoping for Congressional Resolution on Both
Thu, 18 Jun 2015 09:51:51 CDT
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is watching a couple of trade issues closely as they are worked on by the US Congress. Both Trade Promotion Authority and mandatory Country of Origin Labeling are currently on the front burner of issues for the Congress as well as the Obama Administration- and Colin Woodall, Vice Presicent for Governmental Policy at NCBA, hopes that some resolution on both issues can be realized soon.
Woodall says that while NCBA has not seen eye to eye on most issues with the Obama Administration- they do like the work done by the President's US Trade Representative in bringing the US close to a deal within the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations. Woodall and others who are watching the ag parts of the TPP believe that this multi country deal won't be concluded unless President Obama is granted TPA by the Congress. Woodall says that is when the final elements of the deal can be put together.
The overall proposal will then come back to Congress for either an up or down vote- if TPA is in effect.
Likewise, Congress needs to act on Country of Origin Labeling for meat products. In this case- NCBA and others demand that Congress step up and repeal mandatory COOL ahead of retaliation that may soon by authorized by the WTO against the US- the retaliation could exceed three billion dollars annually as imposed by Canada and Mexico.
It was confirmed yesterday that the US is asking for arbitration over the amount of retaliation that can be imposed by the two countries. By WTO standards- that decision could be relatively swift- with a WTO arbitrated number that could be assigned by late summer. Retaliation could, at that point, begin immediately.
Woodall commends the House for repealing COOL- and says the 300 members of the House who voted for repeal sends a strong signal to the US Senate- let's get going on voting for repeal in that chamber as well.
Woodall's comments on both TPA and COOL are featured in this edition of the Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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