United States – Certain Country of Origin Labelling (Cool) Requirements

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United States – Certain Country of Origin Labelling (Cool) Requirements WT/DS384/AB/RW WT/DS386/AB/RW 18 May 2015 (15-2569) Page: 1/191 Original: English UNITED STATES – CERTAIN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELLING (COOL) REQUIREMENTS RECOURSE TO ARTICLE 21.5 OF THE DSU BY CANADA AND MEXICO AB-2014-10 Reports of the Appellate Body Note: The Appellate Body is issuing these Reports in the form of a single document constituting two separate Appellate Body Reports: WT/DS384/AB/RW; and WT/DS386/AB/RW. The cover page, preliminary pages, sections 1 through 5, and the annexes are common to both Reports. The page header throughout the document bears the two document symbols WT/DS384/AB/RW and WT/DS386/AB/RW, with the following exceptions: section 6 on pages CDA-169 to CDA-172, which bears the document symbol for and contains the Appellate Body's conclusions and recommendation in the Appellate Body Report WT/DS384/AB/RW; and section 6 on pages MEX-173 to MEX-176, which bears the document symbol for and contains the Appellate Body's conclusions and recommendation in the Appellate Body Report WT/DS386/AB/RW. WT/DS384/AB/RW • WT/DS386/AB/RW - 2 - Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 11 2 ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND THIRD PARTICIPANTS ..................... 16 2.1 Claims of error by the United States – Appellant .............................................. 16 2.1.1 Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 16 2.1.1.1 The increased recordkeeping burden entailed by the amended COOL measure ............. 17 2.1.1.2 The accuracy of labels prescribed by the amended COOL measure ............................. 18 2.1.1.3 The exemptions under the amended COOL measure ................................................. 20 2.1.2 Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 23 2.1.3 Articles III:4 and IX of the GATT 1994 ................................................................... 24 2.1.4 Article XX of the GATT 1994 ................................................................................. 25 2.1.5 Article XXIII:1(b) of the GATT 1994 ....................................................................... 26 2.2 Arguments of Canada – Appellee ...................................................................... 26 2.2.1 Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 26 2.2.1.1 The increased recordkeeping burden entailed by the amended COOL measure ............. 26 2.2.1.2 The accuracy of labels prescribed by the amended COOL measure ............................. 28 2.2.1.3 The exemptions under the amended COOL measure ................................................. 30 2.2.2 Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 32 2.2.3 Articles III:4 and IX of the GATT 1994 ................................................................... 33 2.2.4 Article XX of the GATT 1994 ................................................................................. 33 2.2.5 Article XXIII:1(b) of the GATT 1994 ....................................................................... 34 2.3 Arguments of Mexico – Appellee ....................................................................... 34 2.3.1 Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 34 2.3.1.1 The increased recordkeeping burden entailed by the amended COOL measure ............. 34 2.3.1.2 The accuracy of labels prescribed by the amended COOL measure ............................. 36 2.3.1.3 The exemptions under the amended COOL measure ................................................. 37 2.3.2 Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 39 2.3.3 Articles III:4 and IX of the GATT 1994 ................................................................... 40 2.3.4 Article XX of the GATT 1994 ................................................................................. 40 2.3.5 Article XXIII:1(b) of the GATT 1994 ....................................................................... 41 2.4 Claims of error by Canada – Other appellant ..................................................... 41 2.4.1 Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 41 2.4.1.1 The Panel's analysis of Label D .............................................................................. 41 2.4.1.2 The Panel's analysis of Label E .............................................................................. 42 2.4.1.3 The prohibition of a trace-back system ................................................................... 43 2.4.2 Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 44 2.4.2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 44 2.4.2.2 The legal test under Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement .............................................. 45 2.4.2.3 The degree of contribution made by the amended COOL measure to its objective ......... 46 WT/DS384/AB/RW • WT/DS386/AB/RW - 3 - 2.4.2.4 The first and second proposed alternative measures ................................................ 47 2.4.2.5 The third and fourth proposed alternative measures ................................................. 48 2.4.3 Article XXIII:1(b) of the GATT 1994 ....................................................................... 49 2.5 Claims of error by Mexico – Other appellant ..................................................... 49 2.5.1 Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 49 2.5.1.1 The Panel's analysis of Label E .............................................................................. 49 2.5.2 Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 50 2.5.2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 50 2.5.2.2 The legal test under Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement .............................................. 51 2.5.2.3 The degree of contribution made by the amended COOL measure to its objective ......... 53 2.5.2.4 The first and second proposed alternative measures ................................................ 53 2.5.2.5 The third and fourth proposed alternative measures ................................................. 54 2.5.3 Article XXIII:1(b) of the GATT 1994 ....................................................................... 55 2.6 Arguments of the United States – Appellee ....................................................... 55 2.6.1 Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 55 2.6.1.1 The Panel's analysis of Label D .............................................................................. 56 2.6.1.2 The Panel's analysis of Label E .............................................................................. 57 2.6.1.3 The prohibition of a trace-back system ................................................................... 57 2.6.2 Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement ........................................................................... 58 2.6.2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 58 2.6.2.2 The legal test under Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement .............................................. 58 2.6.2.3 The degree of contribution made by the amended COOL measure to its objective ......... 60 2.6.2.4 The first and second proposed alternative measures ................................................ 61 2.6.2.5 The third and fourth proposed alternative measures ................................................. 62 2.6.3 Article XXIII:1(b) of the GATT 1994 ....................................................................... 62 2.7 Arguments of the third participants .................................................................. 63 2.7.1 Australia ............................................................................................................ 63 2.7.2 Brazil ................................................................................................................ 64 2.7.3 China ................................................................................................................ 64 2.7.4 Colombia ........................................................................................................... 65 2.7.5 European Union .................................................................................................. 66 2.7.6 Japan ................................................................................................................ 69 2.7.7 Korea ................................................................................................................ 71 2.7.8 New Zealand ...................................................................................................... 72 3 ISSUES RAISED IN THIS APPEAL ...................................................................... 72 4 BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW OF THE MEASURE AT ISSUE ............................. 74 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................
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