WTO Says It's Unfair for American Consumers to Know Where Their Meats Come From

In another head-scratching ruling, the World Trade Organization this week sided with Canada and Mexico on their claims that it is unfair for the U.S. to require that meat sold in grocery stores carry labels indicating country or countries where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered.

It's basically international trade run-amok, without any common sense and it is the second time the WTO has ruled against the U.S. on the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) issue. First passed in 2008, consumer groups like the rule, saying grocery shoppers deserve to know where their meat comes from. But corporate agriculture in the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico, don't like it.

Canada, for instance, said the rule has cost it $900 million and was threatening tariffs on U.S. meat imports along with products such as wine, potatoes and orange juice. These rulings by unelected and unaccountable tribunals are able to invalidate U.S. laws.

The passage of TPP, with its own mechanism allowing foreign corporations to challenge existing U.S. laws, will bring many more rulings as absurd as the WTO decision to prevent the U.S. from letting consumers know where the meat they're buying comes from.