Canada takes U.S. to WTO over cattle, hog country-of-origin labeling

OTTAWA -- Canada is asking the World Trade Organization to intervene in a dispute with the United States over cattle and hog exports.

Ottawa says it has asked a WTO trade dispute panel to strike down country-of-origin requirements it says are making it difficult for Canadian cattle and hog exporters to compete fairly.

The U.S. currently requires firms to track and notify customers of the origin of meat and other agricultural products at every stage of production, including retail.

Ottawa says the provisions are onerous and impose unfair and unnecessary costs on Canadian exports, reducing their competitiveness.

Consultations that began last December have failed to resolve the issue, so the government says it has decided to go to the next step.

Canada-U.S. agricultural trade totals about $37 billion annually.