Cattle and Hog Market Disruptions Renew Interest in Mandatory Country of Original Labeling
Major disruptions in the cattle and hog markets, one of the several fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to many conversations about policy options that might be helpful. One much-discussed solution is mandatory country of origin labeling.
Before diving into the background on MCOOL it is helpful to understand the interconnectedness of the live cattle and live hog markets in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Over more than two decades, the cattle and hog industries in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have evolved based on a consistent and favorable market arrangement. Nearly 100% of U.S. live cattle imports come from Canada and Mexico and nearly 100% all live hog imports come from Canada.