Locavores Lament, As WTO Shoots Down Country Of Origin Labeling

Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a district court’s denial of the American Meat Institute’s motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of the United States Country of Origin Labeling (“COOL”) law. Now the World Trade Organization has ruled that the law violates international fair trade rules, and there is a possibility that sanctions could be imposed on U.S. products, including wine and chocolate. Consumer groups decried the WTO decision.