In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, following his remarks to the Oklahoma Independent Stock Growers Association in Oklahoma City. Their conversation focused heavily on the renewed push for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef and how the landscape has changed since Congress repealed the policy a decade ago.
Bullard explained that the original repeal of mandatory COOL was driven by a World Trade Organization ruling that allowed Canada and Mexico to threaten roughly $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. if labeling requirements were not removed. However, he argued that the WTO no longer holds the same authority it once did, noting growing U.S. skepticism of the organization and pointing out that key appellate positions have gone unfilled, weakening its enforcement power.
With USDA set to roll out a stronger voluntary “Product of USA” labeling rule in 2026, Bullard said that effort corrects past deception but does not replace mandatory COOL. He emphasized that voluntary labeling does not require participation, nor does it identify foreign beef, leaving consumers without clear information about where cattle were born, raised, and slaughtered. In his view, mandatory labeling remains essential for transparency.
Bullard also stressed that full country-specific labeling would allow consumers to make informed choices based on their confidence in different countries’ food safety systems. He argued that labeling beef as coming from Brazil, Australia, Uruguay, or the United States simply provides valuable product information and empowers consumer choice rather than restricting trade.
Finally, Bullard said mandatory COOL previously worked well, including for ground beef, during its 2013–2015 implementation. Bullard told producers at the OISA meeting that beef labeled in the 2013-2015 period under MCOOL commanded a premium but failed to mention that prices were already strong because of tight supplies from drought conditions that caused herd liquidation. R-CALF USA continues to back the American Beef Labeling Act, now introduced in both the House and Senate, despite ongoing warnings of potential retaliation from Canada and Mexico.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
