Gerry Ritz (file photo)

The US House of Representatives has voted to repeal Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) laws for meat.

On Wednesday, the House voted 300 to 131 to repeal the laws, which have prompted threats of retaliation from Canada.

"Today's vote in the U.S. House of Representatives sends a strong bipartisan message that COOL must be repealed once and for all," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "The Administration and Congress know that COOL is costing thousands of American jobs and billions in economic harm to our highly integrated North American livestock industry.

While this marks a positive step, the only way for the United States to avoid billions in retaliation by late summer is to ensure legislation repealing COOL passes the Senate and is signed by the President."

Canada is seeking authorization from the World Trade Organization to impose over $3 billion in retaliatory measures if COOL is not repealed.

The repeal measure is expected to face a tougher test when it is voted on by the US Senate.