WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — U.S. dairy groups are calling for Canada to follow through on its trade commitments while cautioning against changes that could undermine the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Karen Gefvert, Director of Government Affairs for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, said the agreement remains valuable for U.S. dairy producers.
“It’s really important to keep Canada, hold them accountable, but we can’t throw the baby out with the bath water. USMCA has been a valuable agreement for U.S. dairy, and we need to make sure that that stays intact, but we get a few of the other things done along the way. It’s our second largest trading partner, so it’s important to continue to keep dialogue open and to try and make sure that we have access to that market.”
Gefvert said there is no clear path forward, but several opportunities are on the horizon.
The Wisconsin Farmers Union also warns a prolonged dispute could threaten markets that U.S. Dairy farmers rely on.
Darrin Von Ruden of the Wisconsin Farmers Union says Wisconsin dairy producers depend on Canadian demand to help offset an oversupply of milk in the state.
“It would be because, number one, we’ve got an oversupply of milk here in the state of Wisconsin for what our population is. So we do export a lot of our good, high-quality cheeses and dairy products to not only other states, but other countries too. Looking at especially butter, which comes out of central Wisconsin, they need that Canadian market to help offset some of that demand that we just don’t feel here in the U.S. And so if they’re going to target specific states, I would imagine it’s going to be the top dairy producing states, not the small producing states.”
Von Ruden says farmers on both sides of the border are frustrated, saying they’ve spent years growing solid relationships with one another.
Meanwhile, President Trump says Canada has been ripping off the United States for years.
