Canada's Agriculture and International Trade Ministers say they're encouraged by what's going on in Washington with COOL.
A big omnibus spending bill working it's way through Congress includes a repeal of the COOL rules on beef and pork.
Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAuley and Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland say they're monitoring the situation hour by hour.
Freeland says she expects to get formal WTO approval for about a billion dollars in retaliatory tariffs against U-S products because of COOL over the next few days.
Neither she nor MacAuley would say what the government will do if that approval comes before COOL is repealed.
Freeland calls it a very fast developing situation.
"What is important for our Canadian producers to know, our Mexican allies in this to know, and for our U-S allies to know, we're very encouraged by the progress we're seeing, we are monitoring it hour by hour. Our goal is repeal of this legislation, but we are prepared to retaliate if the legislation is not appealed."
According to MacAuley, "The bottom line is the U-S has to repeal this, and that is the bottom line before anything changes on this end."
A vote on the U-S legislation is expected sometime over the next few days.
It would then require the signature of President Obama.
The COOL repeal is just a small element in the overall omnibus legislation designed to keep the U-S government running.
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Canada's International Trade Minister - Chrystia Freeland - says the federal government is encouraged by the progress on the issue in the U-S capital.
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Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAuley says they're keeping their eyes on the goal of the process.
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