Maybe. Here go some excerpts from a recent report by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.
Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL).—The Committee is aware that the governments of Canada and Mexico have challenged a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 24, 2013, (78 Fed. Reg. 31367) claiming that it violates the United States’ international trade obligations in cases WT/DS384 and WT/ DS386, which are pending before a compliance panel of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is estimated that U.S. exports to the two countries will suffer an economic impact of approximately $2,000,000,000 in retaliatory actions should the final adjudication of this matter by the WTO determine the COOL requirements are inconsistent with U.S. international trade obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade annexed to the WTO agreement, the WTO agreement, or the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade referred to in section 101(d)(5) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(5)). Additionally, the USDA Chief Economist noted at a House Agriculture Committee hearing on April 30, 2014, that USDA has found that COOL has little impact on consumer meat choices based on survey data. The Committee directs USDA not to implement or enforce the COOL final rule should the WTO issue a final ruling against the United States. Furthermore, the Secretary is directed to promptly issue a notice in the Federal Register announcing that the COOL rule is suspended until further notice if the final ruling is against the United States.
