June 5, 2014
NMPF & USDEC members demand full access to Japanese and Canadian markets
Members of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) threatened to withdraw support from the pending Trans-Pacific trade agreement, if Japan and Canada do not provide comprehensive market access for US dairy products.
The unity that NMPF and USDEC demonstrated in the message underscored US farmers'' desire to get full market access to all dairy tariff lines with both countries.
"USDEC has been one of the most vocal champions of the importance of including Japan and Canada in TPP since these markets offer strong opportunities for our members to expand U.S. dairy exports," stated Tom Suber, President of USDEC.
"However, it is critical that their participation in TPP be meaningful and comprehensive across all dairy products. It is entirely unacceptable to have such sizable, sophisticated economies refusing to undertake the necessary openness that they agreed to upon entering TPP."
Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, said, "As we have made clear in our letter to Ambassador Froman and Secretary Vilsack, we want to see very strong outcomes on market access with Japan and Canada, and our industry remains prepared to match the level of ambition of those countries. To be successful, any eventual TPP agreement must result in more open dairy markets in Japan and Canada."
Members of both organisations also stressed the importance of addressing the impacts of the dairy policies in New Zealand. They claim the policies have intentionally advantaged a single national champion at the expense of other competitors.