COOL is the classic and perfect example of a non-tariff trade barrier. It is a regulatory requirement imposed upon us in the United States. It serves absolutely no discernible purpose in regard to enhanced food safety or product awareness, and it is there, in my opinion, specifically to reduce access to that market.
Country-of-origin labelling is like our softwood lumber dispute with the United States. For those of us in the pork industry, it's the issue that just won't go away. We keep coming back to it and we keep dealing with it.
As a pork producer who has exported and has raised hogs in the United States, I'll say that it affects us directly. What happens is that it makes it so difficult for the processor to handle our product. They have to change their line. They have to identify it, and they have to segregate the product. Also, depending upon the volume of the supply that you're giving to that plant, it just becomes too expensive for them.
This requirement is not driven by the processor, and it's not driven by the retailer or the wholesaler. This is a lobby position designed to be protectionist. It's the kind of thing that we really don't want to see coming back around. If our trade negotiating committee could somehow put that to bed in NAFTA talks, I would be extremely grateful on behalf of the industry. It is very expensive, and it's very detrimental to us in terms of accessing markets.