Rep. Paul Ryan to Canada, Japan: Open Borders to Dairy or No Trade Deal
Source: National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council
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.”
