[bootlegga]

Canada ready for Canadian $1 billion sanctions against U.S. over labels

$1:

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is prepared to impose sanctions of up to C$1 billion ($980 million) a year against the United States unless it complies with a WTO order to redesign its meat labels, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said on Tuesday.

The United States introduced country of origin labels for meat in 2009. Mexico and Canada successfully argued before the World Trade Organization that the labels were discriminatory and Washington has until May 23 this year to change them.

The Canadians and Mexicans want Washington to comply with the WTO ruling that it must amend its meat labeling rules. The labels right now identify where beef, pork, chicken and lamb sold in the United States come from.

The rules cut U.S. imports of Canadian pigs and cattle sharply because it raised costs for U.S. packers who must now segregate imported animals from U.S. livestock.

Ritz said Canada would consider imposing "extensive retaliatory measures" if the United States failed to act and noted Canadian beef and pork producers complained the rules were costing them C$1 billion a year in lost sales.

"We're looking for those kinds of dollars in retaliatory action. Should the Americans put in place the proper response to the WTO ... then this won't be required," he told reporters from Washington after talks with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

"As a country we are more than prepared to apply retaliatory measures to recoup that billion dollars," he said.

Last month the United States sought to address the dispute by proposing stricter rules for labeling meat but Ritz said the new measures fell far short of what was needed.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canada-ready-c ... 35503.html

[DanSC]

One billion dollars?

[Canadian_Mind]

At first glance it seems like a non-issue. Hell, I'd like to know where my meat comes from. But I understand the cost side of it, NAFTA and all. If it weren't for NAFTA then I'd presume the WTO would have said "tough luck."

[martin14]

How much did we get fucked over on softwood lumber ?

Seems we need some of that money back.

[Gunnair]

martin14 martin14:

How much did we get fucked over on softwood lumber ?

Seems we need some of that money back.

Somebody said the US was a better date than China.

Maybe it's the fucking over we get that is the only real difference.

[peck420]

Gunnair Gunnair:

Somebody said the US was a better date than China.

Maybe it's the fucking over we get that is the only real difference.

Shhhh!

The masters don't like when the plebs speak like that.

[andyt]

Gunnair Gunnair:

martin14 martin14:

How much did we get fucked over on softwood lumber ?

Seems we need some of that money back.

Somebody said the US was a better date than China.

Maybe it's the fucking over we get that is the only real difference.

The Chinese have smaller dicks, but there's way more of them. So depends if you like to get fucked over with quantity or quality. And, you know, if we didn't wear such short skirts and hang around with sketchy nations, maybe this wouldn't happen to us all the time. Wake up all sore and hungover with the rent money gone and all.

[peck420]

andyt andyt:

And, you know, if we didn't wear such short skirts and hang around with sketchy nations, maybe this wouldn't happen to us all the time. Wake up all sore and hungover with the rent money gone and all.

Stop blaming the victim!

[Jonny_C]

It seems to me we get labels that show when meat is USDA rather than Canada Grade xx. Why shouldn't Canadian meat be labelled as such in the USA?

[Gunnair]

andyt andyt:

Gunnair Gunnair:

martin14 martin14:

How much did we get fucked over on softwood lumber ?

Seems we need some of that money back.

Somebody said the US was a better date than China.

Maybe it's the fucking over we get that is the only real difference.

The Chinese have smaller dicks, but there's way more of them. So depends if you like to get fucked over with quantity or quality. And, you know, if we didn't wear such short skirts and hang around with sketchy nations, maybe this wouldn't happen to us all the time. Wake up all sore and hungover with the rent money gone and all.

Sounds like Canada has to do a National Slut Walk.

[Unsound]

Fact is the Americans will ignore any trade rulings that don't work for them, like they always do, and we'll bitch like we always do, but in the end little will happen. Any retaliation we put in place will hurt us more than them and they know that.