ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) commended 74 House lawmakers today for sending a bipartisan letter urging the U.S. government to leverage the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) 2026 Joint Review to address concerns over the deal’s dairy provision implementation.
The letter to United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer highlights Canada’s attempts to evade its dairy commitments by misallocating its USMCA dairy tariff rate quotas and continuing to export artificially low-priced dairy proteins without appropriate limits. It also touches on Mexico’s need to fully implement common cheese name protections agreed to as part of USMCA. The lawmakers called on the administration to ensure these issues are resolved during the upcoming review process.
“USMCA raised the standard for what a trade agreement could be and promised new opportunities for U.S. dairy farmers,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “Unfortunately, the Canadian government has continued to evade its dairy trade obligations, and U.S. dairy farmers are not seeing the full benefits USMCA intended. We commend Representatives Tenney, DelBene, Wied, and Costa for championing this effort and working with the Administration to hold our trading partners accountable.”
“Our industry thrives when trade agreements deliver real results for the people they are meant to support,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “Representatives Tenney, DelBene, Wied, and Costa are standing up for our dairy producers and processors by ensuring our trading partners honor their trade obligations. We are grateful for their leadership and for their commitment to securing the full benefits of USMCA for U.S. dairy. USDEC is committed to working closely with both Congress and the Administration to address these dairy issues as the USMCA Review moves forward.”
U.S. dairy exports to Mexico and Canada last year exceeded $3.6 billion, accounting for 44 percent of total export value. USMCA preserved duty-free access for U.S. dairy into Mexico and introduced a series of provisions to expand market access into Canada and discipline trade-distorting practices, both of which Canada has failed to fully implement.
