Today, Farm Action submitted a public comment to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) urging the reinstatement of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef and pork as part of the 2026 Joint Review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
MCOOL, first enacted in the 2002 Farm Bill, required retailers to identify the country of origin for beef, lamb, pork, fish, peanuts, fresh fruit, and vegetables. In 2015, it was repealed for beef and pork. Without clear labeling, imported meat is often indistinguishable from U.S.-raised meat—giving multinational corporations an unfair advantage and leaving American ranchers at a disadvantage. As USTR prepares to revisit the USMCA, Farm Action says the 2026 review presents an opportunity to reinstate MCOOL among the United States, Mexico, and Canada through the trade agreement and restore fairness to U.S. markets.
As Farm Action’s comment outlines, restoring MCOOL would provide cattle and pork producers with a fair playing field and incentivize cow herd growth—bolstering America’s domestic food security by rebuilding resilient supply chains instead of relying on imports.
“The need for MCOOL could not be more urgent,” the comment states. “America’s cattle industry is at a crossroads: the national beef cow herd inventory is at its lowest level in decades, and in order to rebuild herds, independent ranchers need reliable market signals that their product will be differentiated and fairly valued.”
Restoring MCOOL would also bring transparency for consumers and integrity to the food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new “Product of USA” rule is a step forward, but because the label is voluntary, it does not ensure that all beef and pork carry origin information. Multinational packers “can still choose not to label their products at all—leaving consumers in the dark and U.S. ranchers without reliable differentiation,” the comment notes.
“We respectfully urge USTR to make reinstatement of MCOOL a top U.S. priority in the 2026 USMCA Joint Review. This process offers a rare and historic opportunity to align trade policy with the interests of American farmers and consumers, and to demonstrate that the United States will not compromise on transparency, fairness, or sovereignty in its food system,” the comment concludes.
Media Contacts:
Emma Nicolas, [email protected], 202-450-0094
Farm Action Urges Trade Officials to Reinstate Country-of-Origin Labels for Beef and Pork
Today, Farm Action submitted a public comment to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) urging the reinstatement of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef and pork as part of the 2026 Joint Review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
MCOOL, first enacted in the 2002 Farm Bill, required retailers to identify the country of origin for beef, lamb, pork, fish, peanuts, fresh fruit, and vegetables. In 2015, it was repealed for beef and pork. Without clear labeling, imported meat is often indistinguishable from U.S.-raised meat—giving multinational corporations an unfair advantage and leaving American ranchers at a disadvantage. As USTR prepares to revisit the USMCA, Farm Action says the 2026 review presents an opportunity to reinstate MCOOL among the United States, Mexico, and Canada through the trade agreement and restore fairness to U.S. markets.
As Farm Action’s comment outlines, restoring MCOOL would provide cattle and pork producers with a fair playing field and incentivize cow herd growth—bolstering America’s domestic food security by rebuilding resilient supply chains instead of relying on imports.
“The need for MCOOL could not be more urgent,” the comment states. “America’s cattle industry is at a crossroads: the national beef cow herd inventory is at its lowest level in decades, and in order to rebuild herds, independent ranchers need reliable market signals that their product will be differentiated and fairly valued.”
Restoring MCOOL would also bring transparency for consumers and integrity to the food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new “Product of USA” rule is a step forward, but because the label is voluntary, it does not ensure that all beef and pork carry origin information. Multinational packers “can still choose not to label their products at all—leaving consumers in the dark and U.S. ranchers without reliable differentiation,” the comment notes.
“We respectfully urge USTR to make reinstatement of MCOOL a top U.S. priority in the 2026 USMCA Joint Review. This process offers a rare and historic opportunity to align trade policy with the interests of American farmers and consumers, and to demonstrate that the United States will not compromise on transparency, fairness, or sovereignty in its food system,” the comment concludes.
Media Contacts:
Emma Nicolas, [email protected], 202-450-0094
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“I’m really hopeful that this letter can help with the roadmap to some actionable steps,” said Farm Action President Angela Huffman.