Dairy groups are pleased with U.S. House members’ efforts to get better access to markets in Canada. The National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) commended a bipartisan and regionally diverse group of House members for urging Canada to allow more imports of U.S. dairy products as an outcome of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks.
In the letter to Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Gary Doar, the House members said U.S. access to the Canadian dairy market will have a significant impact on how Congress views the final, 12-nation TPP agreement. “It will be difficult for us to support Canada’s inclusion in TPP if significant new dairy access is not part of the deal,” they wrote. The letter was spearheaded by Representatives Reid Ribble (R-WI), Ron Kind (D-WI), David Valadao (R-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA). Among the signers were Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mike Conaway (R-TX), Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, and Pat Tiberi, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee’s Trade Subcommittee.
NMPF and USDEC hailed this congressional message as a vital element to achieving the type of ambitious and balanced market access result that is still needed in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
“We applaud this group of House members for demanding that Canada get serious about allowing more dairy imports,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Creating meaningful U.S. export opportunities in the Canadian market is one of three critical dairy market access issues remaining in TPP and so far Canada has refused to live up to its commitment to address it. If U.S. dairy farmers are ultimately asked to grapple with greater competition under this agreement, it’s only right that they be able to have comparable product opportunities to tap into exports to Canada, as well as Japan.”
“Our members had hoped that TPP would eliminate all dairy tariffs in the region; that now appears unlikely,” added USDEC President Tom Suber. “Despite this, we see the prospect for ample market access gains – particularly into Japan and Canada. We hope to support a final agreement that ensures the United States gains at least as much increased dairy market access into those markets for major dairy commodities as it grants to our largest competitor in this agreement. Our industry is willing to do its part; Canada needs to do so as well if it wants to be part of TPP.”
The IDFA added its own praise to those who took this strong stance against Canada’s lack of engagement on dairy market-access negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks.
“These lawmakers understand the importance of getting the best deal from all of the countries negotiating TPP for the U.S. dairy industry,” said Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO. “Dairy was left out of both the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement; we are not willing to support another agreement that doesn’t include significant access to Canada’s dairy market.”