Congresswoman Hageman Reintroduces the Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (R-WY) and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) reintroduced the Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act, which reinstates mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.

Representatives Hageman and Khanna were joined by Representatives Warren Davidson (R-OH), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Chip Roy (R-TX), and Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (R-AZ).

“American consumers deserve accurate information on the products they buy, and U.S. ranchers deserve honest and fair competition in the marketplace. The U.S. abandoned MCOOL for beef in 2016 following a World Trade Organization ruling. This change lifted the profit margins of monopolistic big packers at the expense of the American rancher. The domestic market is finally providing the means for our producers to keep family ranches alive, and we must protect these operations by providing full transparency of the origin of beef in the marketplace. MCOOL is more important than ever to grow the size of the national herd and stop the blending of cheap foreign beef in high-quality U.S. products,” stated Rep. Hageman.

“The Trump administration is quadrupling Argentinian beef imports while our farmers continue to struggle. We need trade policy that puts America first. I’m proud to lead legislation with Rep. Hageman that blocks multi-national meat packing companies that are importing cattle and falsely labeling it as American,” said Rep. Ro Khanna.

"Rocky Mountain Farmers Union thanks Representative Hageman for standing up for the best interests of both America’s cattle producers and its consumers through the introduction of the Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act of 2025," said Chad Franke, President of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. "American ranchers produce the highest-quality beef — and consumers want to purchase that premium product and support family ranches and rural communities. To make informed choices, American consumers deserve to know where their food comes from. The implementation of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) is essential to ensure transparency in the marketplace and to strengthen trust between producers and consumers. MCOOL benefits both — giving ranchers the recognition they deserve and consumers the confidence they expect," Franke continued. 

“Family farmers and ranchers work hard to put safe, high-quality American meat on our tables. Consumers deserve to know where their food comes from—and they want that choice. Restoring mandatory country-of-origin labeling is common sense. It gives families the information they need and ensures a fairer, more competitive marketplace for farmers and ranchers. We thank Representatives Hageman and Khanna for standing up for transparency and for American farmers, ranchers, and consumers,” said Rob Larew, President, National Farmers Union. 

“We are grateful for Representative Hageman’s leadership in creating a competitive marketplace for both ranchers and consumers with her bill requiring accurate origin information on beef. Consumers deserve the right to choose to buy imported beef or beef from America’s ranchers, and ranchers deserve the right to compete in their own domestic market. This bill will accomplish both,” said Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA.

Background:

Country of origin labeling food laws require retailers to inform customers about the source of their food. Agricultural commodities were exempted from MCOOL laws, but beginning in 2002, Congress passed a series of laws implementing MCOOL requirements for select commodities, including beef. However, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that U.S. MCOOL laws were in violation of WTO rules, and Congress removed it for beef in 2016.

The Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act reinstates MCOOL requirements for beef and raises fines for those falsely labeling their beef as made in the U.S.A., including the multinational packers. The bill also dictates that no ruling from an international body, such as the WTO, impacts our country’s ability to implement country of origin requirements.

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