Christmas Tree Season Begins and COOL

Between now and the middle of December, up to 7 million Oregon Christmas trees will be harvested and sold locally, nationally, and internationally. Gary McAninch manages the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Nursery and Christmas Tree Programs.
MC ANINCH:  “We are about a week earlier than last year. We’ve already issued inspection certificates for trees going to Hawaii and we are just starting to issue them for Mexico also. We ship all around the Pacific Rim countries. We ship to Central and South America. Mexico is our largest foreign customer. They get about 12 percent of the trees harvested in Oregon annually.”  
He says it’s a very busy time for ODA inspectors who issue the certificates that ensure trees leaving the state are free of insect pests and diseases. For 2015, there has been an additional challenge of drought and record high temperatures.
The National Association of State Department of Agriculture wants the Senate to repeal mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork. NASDA President wrote to Senate leaders, “It is imperative that COOL policy be implemented in a manner that ensures the U.S. maintains its obligations under negotiated international trade agreements and avoids retaliatory trade actions against U.S. agricultural products." The World Trade Organization will be releasing their final report on COOL retaliation in early December.