White House recently issued three presidential proclamations pursuant to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose additional 50% tariffs on certain goods from Canada in response to Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American products, including dairy. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), U.S Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have issued statements regarding the measure.
“IDFA has consistently called on Canada to fully implement its dairy commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and eliminate policies that deny U.S. dairy exporters the market access that was negotiated,” said IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes. “Our members seek the fair and transparent access promised under the agreement, including proper administration of dairy tariff-rate quotas and the elimination of policies that distort dairy protein trade.”
“We appreciate the administration’s commitment to standing up for dairy farmers and manufacturers eager to make full use of the market access commitments Canada made under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement [USMCA],” USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, said. “For far too long, Canada has intentionally misused its tariff rate quota system to impede the full use of USMCA dairy quotas. It’s time for Canada to come to the table and resolve this and other USMCA dairy issues. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure that all the intended dairy benefits of USMCA are fully realized.”
“Today’s assertive action by the administration makes clear to Canada that their dairy trade practices will no longer be tolerated,” NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said. “Canada simply cannot continue to discriminate against U.S. dairy farmers by effectively blocking negotiated access to its market. It is well past time for Canada to negotiate in good faith and tackle the outstanding USMCA dairy implementation issues to help drive a successful conclusion of the USMCA review.”
— Story contributed by the NMPF, IDFA and USDEC
