The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) today applauded House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's strong message on agricultural market access to Japan and Canada in the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade talks.
Ryan, in comments to the Washington International Trade Association, made it very clear Canada and Japan must open their markets to U.S. dairy farmers or not be part of the final trade agreement.
"We could not agree more with Rep. Ryan's statement that Canada's big restrictions on dairy, poultry and eggs products have to go,'" said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. "Too many times in the past, Canada has gotten a pass on its impenetrable tariff wall on dairy imports. It is time Canada provides significant market access on all dairy products, from cheese to butter to milk."
"We appreciate the intense trade negotiations now under way between the United States and Japan and believe significant progress has been made in those talks," said USDEC President Tom Suber. "But there still is work to do. Japan's ongoing efforts to limit meaningful market access on key U.S. dairy products are not in keeping with a trade agreement designed to expand trade opportunities."
"We are also heartened by Chairman Ryan's recognition that the European Union is trying to subvert the concept of geographical indications in a blatant effort to create barriers to U.S. exports of cheese and other products," added Mulhern. "The U.S. dairy industry has repeatedly condemned EU efforts to misuse GIs to erect barriers to trade and competition. We share Chairman Ryan's hope that US-EU trade talks will address this problem, as well as the proliferation of other barriers to U.S. agricultural exports."
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, Va., develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of U.S. dairy producers and the cooperatives they collectively own. The members of NMPF's cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S, milk supply, making NMPF the voice of nearly 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF's activities, visit www.nmpf.org. 
The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products. USDEC accomplishes this through programs in market development that build global demand for U.S. dairy products, resolve market access barriers and advance industry trade policy goals. USDEC is supported by staff across the United States and overseas in Mexico, South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe. The U.S. Dairy Export Council prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, marital status, military status, and arrest or conviction record.2.5.2015