The Obama administration Friday appealed a recent World Trade Organization ruling that would have limited meat-origin labeling, angering Canadian officials who threatened retaliation for what they called violations of international trade rules.

The flap is over a multiyear battle between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada about new rules that would require companies to list the national origin of beef, pork, and other meats sold in the U.S.

The WTO recently ruled that a 2013 rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would require these disclosures was discriminatory, a victory for Canadian and Mexican officials who wanted to protect their exports.

The U.S. had 60 days to appeal the ruling over its "Country of Origin Labeling, or "COOL" policy, and this appeal was filed on Friday, according to the WTO.

No further information about the appeal was available, and an official from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which would have filed the appeal, didn't respond to requests for comment. Canadian officials, however, quickly blasted the U.S. move.

"Canada fully expected the United States to live up to its international trade obligations and comply with the WTO ruling, which reaffirms Canada's long-standing view that the revised U.S. COOL measure is blatantly protectionist and fails to comply with the WTO's original ruling against it," Ed Fast and Gerry Ritz, Canada's ministers of international trade and agriculture, said in a statement.

Canadian officials have said that the labeling rule would cause its cattle industry to lose close to $1 billion a year, and they have threatened to retaliate with tariffs on things like chocolate, cornflakes, fruit and potatoes in the past.

Relations between Washington and Ottawa have experienced strains in recent years, dominated by Canada's impatience with the approval process regarding the Keystone XL project. Other irritants include Buy America provisions that shut out some Canadian manufacturers from U.S. infrastructure projects, and a U.S. reluctance to fund a customs plaza on the U.S. side of a new border crossing between Detroit and the province of Ontario.

U.S. business groups are split on the labeling rule. Some large meatpackers oppose the rule, saying it drives up costs and hurts trade with Canada and Mexico.

"An appeal only continues along the current path and brings us closer retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico, a path that will damage our economy and our relationship with our largest trading partners," said Bob McCan, a Texas cattleman who is president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Other agriculture groups, however, supported the appeal, saying it could help give consumers more information.

"American consumers have been crystal clear that they want to know where their food comes from and family farmers and ranchers are proud to provide it," said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. He called the appeal "the right thing to do."

Write to Damian Paletta at damian.paletta@wsj.com and Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

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