In the past so-called “harmonization” bills have failed in Congress. One impediment to getting legislation passed was the perception that a joint U.S.-Canadian label would be too cumbersome to create, said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson

“We have proven that NAFTA labels are possible,” said Johnson, who worked on the initiative with federal regulators and chemical industry representatives.

Jim Gulliford, an assistant EPA administrator, said 12 additional chemicals are in line for NAFTA labels.

Dean Wanner, a spokesman for Arizona-based Gowan Company LLC, which makes Far-GO and Avadex, said the NAFTA label process will benefit chemical manufacturers because it means their product can move freely across the border. That eliminates the expense of different packaging and labeling, he said.

He said industry competition would stop companies from raising chemical prices in Canada rather than reducing them in the United States. Chemical companies also say prices reflect the cost of different labeling procedures and requirements in the two countries, which must be added to the cost of the herbicide.

Source: Associated Press