Country of origin labeling

Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL) (or mCOOL [m for mandatory]) was a requirement signed into American law under Title X of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2001 (known as the 2002 Farm Bill, codified at 7 U.S.C. § 1638a). This law had required retailers to provide country-of-origin labeling for fresh beef, pork, and lamb. The program exempted processed meats. The United States Congress passed an expansion of the COOL requirements on 29 September 2008, to include more food items such as fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables. Regulations were implemented on 1 August 2008 (73 FR 45106), 31 August 2008 (73 FR 50701), and 24 May 2013 (78 FR 31367). On 18 December 2015 Congress repealed the "COOL" law and it was signed by President Barack Obama. The repeal was a part of the omnibus budget bill.

"Under §304 of the Tariff Act of 1930 as amended (19 U.S.C. § 1304), every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English to indicate to the “ultimate purchaser” its country of origin." According to the U.S. Customs, generally defined the “ultimate purchaser” is the last U.S. person who will receive the goods in the form in which it was imported.

However, if the goods are destined for a U.S. based processor where they will undergo “substantial transformation”, then that processor or manufacturer is considered the ultimate purchaser. The law authorizes exceptions to labeling requirements, such as for articles incapable of being marked or where the cost would be “economically prohibitive.”

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