Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act of 2025

This bill would expand mandatory Country of Origin Labeling requirements to include beef and ground beef, requiring retailers to notify customers of the country where the meat originated. To be labeled as exclusively from the United States, the beef would generally have to come from animals born, raised, and slaughtered within the country. Additionally, the bill would increase potential fines for willful violations to $5,000 per pound of non-compliant beef and specifies that international organizations cannot limit the Department of Agriculture's authority to implement these requirements.

This bill directly affects food retailers such as grocery stores, supermarkets, and club warehouses, as well as their suppliers, who must comply with new labeling and notification requirements for beef products. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is affected as the primary agency responsible for enforcement and the collection of increased fines for non-compliance. Additionally, the legislation impacts consumers who purchase beef and ground beef by providing them with specific country-of-origin information.

• Mandatory country of origin labeling for beef. Requires retailers such as grocery stores and supermarkets to notify customers of the country of origin for beef and ground beef products.
• Criteria for United States origin designation. Specifies that beef may only be labeled as exclusively originating from the United States if the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered within the country.
• Increased penalties for noncompliance. Establishes a fine of $5,000 per pound of non-compliant beef for retailers or suppliers who willfully violate labeling requirements, an increase from the current maximum fine of $1,000 per violation.
• Protection of regulatory authority from international rulings. Provides that no ruling by the World Trade Organization or other international organizations may limit or affect the Department of Agriculture's authority to implement these labeling requirements.

This bill expands the Department of Agriculture's existing mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements to include beef and ground beef. It also increases the maximum penalty for willful violations from $1,000 per violation to $5,000 per pound of non-compliant beef.

The bill aims to expand mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements to include beef and ground beef, ensuring consumers are notified of the country where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered. It also seeks to strengthen enforcement by increasing penalties for noncompliance and asserting federal authority to implement these requirements regardless of international organization rulings.