The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed into law in January of 2020, which aimed at improving dairy trade with Canada and solidifying trade relations with Mexico. Fast forward to 2022, not all players are holding up their end of the deal – specifically, Canada.
Shawna Morris, the Senior Vice President of Trade Policy for National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), says that with upwards of an additional $200+ million hanging on the line, Canada continues to undermine access to its market and lower the benefits of the trade agreement to the U.S. dairy industry.
In Wisconsin, cheese is a large slice of the issue. She says the state is eager to gain access to the Canadian market, but Canada continues to limit their consumers to products only made in Canadian processing plants.
According to the NMPF, Mexico and Canada are two of the largest markets for U.S. dairy exports, accounting for more than ⅓ of the $5.59 billion seen in annual dairy export sales.
Morris says farmers and companies have already weighed in on the issue by contacting their local representatives. She says congress members now must work with trade representatives to enforce USMCA’s dairy provisions to prevent any further damage.
For more information or to sign up for National Milk Producers Federation newsletter updates, visit www.nmpf.org.
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