WTO Ruling Might Impact U.S. Wine Exports

On May 18, the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a report finding the U.S. in violation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). On May 29, the body concluded its proceedings. On June 7, Canada's agriculture and international trade ministers released a statement threatening to impose tariffs on American products. These fighting words are the latest development in a six-year, multinational dispute that arose when the U.S. Department of Agriculture adopted rules requiring country of origin labeling (“COOL”) of muscle cuts of meat, including beef and pork. So how did an argument over bovines and swine get us to the point of retaliatory tariffs on wine? What’s at stake (no pun intended) here?

Read More