FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative is elated at the decision published today by the USMCA Dispute Settlement Panel, which found Canada is improperly restricting access to its market for U.S. dairy products in violation of its U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) commitments.
“This landmark decision is a victory for all U.S. dairy, including farmers, processors and exporters,” says John Rettler, dairy farmer from Neosho, Wis. and president of FarmFirst. “The dairy provisions in the USMCA were heavily discussed and hard-fought by our U.S. trade ambassadors. The decision today should send a clear message to Canada to follow through on the agreements they make, and to be an honest trading partner.”
“We are grateful for Ambassador Tai’s leadership on this important issue and for the bipartisan support received by Congressional leaders. U.S. dairy farmers and processors deserve to utilize the full market opportunities that were sought after for them in the USMCA,” says Jeff Lyon, General Manager at FarmFirst. “We look forward to working with Canada as they address the concerns highlighted by the panel.”
