At least in part due to food safety concerns, consumers prefer to know where their food comes from. The origins of beef and other meats have eluded American consumers for years.
But there could be another opportunity: The Trump administration is seeking to open the U.S. to more beef from Argentina and Brazil to curb skyrocketing prices.
The American Beef Labeling Act (S.421), proposed by U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, received a companion House bill last week filed by Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-WY, and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-CA.
He reintroduces the Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act into the House of Representatives, reinstating Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef. Reps. Hageman and Hanna were joined by Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Thomas Massey, R-Ky., Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Paul A. Gosar, D-Ariz.
Companion bills received bipartisan support in both chambers from a coalition of organizations representing cattle producers.
“American consumers deserve accurate information about the products they buy, and American ranchers deserve fair and equitable competition in the marketplace,” Hageman said. “The U.S. phased out MCOOL for beef in 2016, following a decision by the World Trade Organization. This change increased the profit margins of large monopoly packers at the expense of American ranchers. The domestic market is finally providing our producers with the means to support family ranches, and we must protect these operations by ensuring full transparency of the origins of beef in the market. MCOOL is more important than ever to increase the size of the nation's herd and stop the mixing of cheap foreign beef with high-quality American beef beef products”,
Rep. Khanna said, “The Trump Administration is quadrupling imports of Argentine beef while our farmers continue to struggle. We need trade policies that put America first. I am proud to co-lead legislation with Rep. Hageman that would block multinational meat packing companies that import cattle and falsely label them as American.”
Since COOL was repealed in 2015, Montana has lost 25 percent of the state's family ranches, according to the Montana Farmers Union.
“Required country of origin labeling is more important now than ever because the United States has imported more beef than at any time in history,” said Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer. “If we had MCOOL, multinational packers would be required to label it truthfully, and the consumer would be able to pay less for foreign beef. I am willing to import beef as long as it is labeled fairly and accurately. This will allow American producers to compete on a fair playing field.”
Chad Franke, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, added: “American ranchers produce the highest quality beef, and consumers want to buy this premium product and support family ranches and rural communities. To make informed choices, American consumers need to know where their food comes from.”
“Implementing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) is essential to ensure transparency in the market and build trust between producers and consumers. MCOOL benefits both – giving ranchers the recognition they deserve and consumers the trust they expect,” Franke continued.
Large multinational beef processors are often accused of manipulating markets by combining foreign meat products with U.S.-raised beef and labeling it to consumers as “Product of the USA.”
On October 23, President Trump wrote on social media that cattle ranchers “…don't understand that the only reason they're doing so well for the first time in decades is because I put tariffs on livestock coming into the United States…If it weren't for me, they'd be doing the same thing they've been doing for the last 20 years – terrible!”
Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, responded by saying that President Trump should “control imports, restore mandatory country of origin labeling for beef, and end the monopolistic control that packers and retailers have over our beef supply chain. This will encourage American ranchers to rebuild and expand the US herd to meet our national security needs and ensure that competitive market forces determine consumer prices for beef.”
“Long gone are the days when retail beef proudly proclaims, 'Born, raised and processed in the USA,'” says Giles Stockton, chairman of the Northern Plains Resource Council's agriculture working group. “American producers are shut out of their own market by imports, which account for 70 to 80 percent of sales. Without MCOOL, consumers have no way of truly knowing what they are buying. With MCOOL, they will have the ability to demand American beef.”
A new USDA rule, effective January 1, 2026, requires that no foreign meat can be mixed with U.S. beef as long as the product is labeled “U.S. Product” and “Made in the USA.” The congressional bill's sponsors don't think the rule goes far enough because it allows meat producers to opt out.
The Country of Origin Labeling Compliance Act reinstates MCOOL requirements for beef and increases penalties for falsely labeling beef as being produced in the United States, including for international packers. The bill also states that no decision of an international body such as the WTO affects our country's ability to comply with country of origin requirements.
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