Max Baucus: “I rise today to state my support for country-of-origin labeling. Manufactured goods sold in the United States have…”

“I rise today to state my support for country-of-origin labeling. Manufactured goods sold in the United States have carried mandatory country-of-origin labels since the 1930s. Most of our major trading partners, including Europe and Japan, already require American producers to provide this information on our agricultural exports. Today as the landscape of international trade continues to change and expand, our Nation's fruits, vegetables and meats need to carry the same important information. Country-of-origin labeling will have two primary benefits. First, it will add value to our domestic commodities. American agriculture produces the highest quality products in the world, and they should be rewarded for that. Second, it will enable consumers to be knowledgeable about their purchases at the grocery store. I am very concerned that the House eliminated funding for the implementation of country-of-origin labeling in their version of the 2004 Agriculture appropriations bill. It is important that the Senate conferees insist that no limits on the use of funds to enforce country-of-origin labeling requirements be included in the conference report. I urge my colleagues to support this sense-of-the-Senate resolution. I understand that there are concerns about the implementation of country-of-origin labeling. I think country-of-origin labeling can and should be done in a way that does not overburden the retailer, the packer, or the producer.”