Canadians Going Hog Wild Over Protectionism

Canada asks the World Trade Organization (WTO) to rule against an American food-labeling law that seems to have destroyed much of its hog-farming industry, states the New York Times. The dispute derives from an American rule requiring that food products be labeled by country of origin. The U.S. government denies that labeling its food products is an act of protectionism, although Americans have decreased purchases of pork produced in Canada, traditionally about 7 percent of Canadian pork is consumed in the United States.

The Canadian international trade minister, Stockwell Day, publicly criticized the rules “as so onerous that they affect the ability of our cattle and hog exporters to compete fairly in the United States.” He said Canada “has no choice” but to request that the World Trade Organization scrutinize the labeling rules.

The U.S. trade representative defended the allegations and its claim that the Obama administration is practicing protectionism by stating that the information on the labels given to consumers complies with the WTO.

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