South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that he is leading a bipartisan coalition of 11 Attorneys General in filing an amicus brief supporting cattle ranchers in a case against beef manufacturers accused of selling foreign-sourced beef under a “Product of USA” label.
“Ranchers in South Dakota and across America work hard to produce the highest quality beef products in the world,” Jackley said. “The ‘Product of USA’ label is a brand that reflects the quality of American beef.”
The lawsuit, brought by South Dakota ranchers in the U.S. District Court for South Dakota, challenged the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to allow manufacturers to use the “Product of USA” label on imported beef. The District Court sided with the ranchers, and the case is now on appeal before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In their brief, the Attorneys General note that the USDA now acknowledges the label’s use on foreign beef violates federal requirements. They are asking the court to order manufacturers to stop falsely labeling imported beef as U.S.-produced.
“Selling lower-quality foreign beef with a ‘Product of USA’ label misleads consumers and harms the reputation and financial interests of American ranchers,” Jackley said. “Consumers should not be fooled into paying a premium price for substandard foreign beef product under a false ‘Product of USA’ label.”
Attorneys General from Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming joined South Dakota in the filing.
