Mar. 6 – NAFTA label made for farm chemical

More on NAFTA labeling of pesticides, which we brought to you last week with NAFTA: First Harmonized Label for Pesticide Product Available. The Billings Gazette discusses the new NAFTA pesticide label:

Environmental regulators in the United States and Canada have developed a joint label for farm chemicals that officials say could save American farmers millions of dollars.

One industry official said the move gives chemical companies more flexibility to respond to the marketplace. He also said it is a step toward reducing regulatory differences between the two countries.

The Environmental Protection Agency and its Canadian counterpart on Friday announced the first North American Free Trade Agreement label, for a herbicide marketed as Far-GO in the United States and as Avadex in Canada. It can be used for weed control for a wide range of crops, from wheat to sugar beets.

American farmers have long wanted to import chemicals from Canada because they say they are often cheaper north of the border, but so-called “harmonization” bills have failed in Congress. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said one of the roadblocks in Congress was the perception that a joint U.S.-Canadian label would be too cumbersome to create.

See the full article here: NAFTA label made for farm chemical.