A coalition of 11 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief supporting cattle ranchers in a lawsuit accusing major beef processors of misusing the “Product of USA” label on foreign-sourced beef.

The case, brought by South Dakota ranchers against JBS Foods, Tyson Foods, Cargill Meat Solutions and National Beef Packing Company, claims the companies wrongly labeled imported beef as domestic.

The U.S. District Court of South Dakota sided with the ranchers, but the ruling is now under review by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In their brief, the attorneys general argued the Department of Agriculture has acknowledged that applying the label to foreign beef conflicts with federal requirements, and they urged the court to order the companies to stop the practice.

The coalition includes Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.