A number of U.S. dairy organizations are asking the Trump Administration to take steps against Canadian trade policies they’re calling “protectionist.” They say Canada is shutting the door on American dairy exports in violation of trade agreements between the two countries. The National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the International Dairy Foods Association want the president and northern state governors to take immediate action in response to Canada’s violation of its trade commitments. The groups say the new “Class 7” pricing policy is expressly designed to place U.S. dairy exports at a disadvantage. As a result of the new policy, multiple dairy companies in New York and Wisconsin have had to tell their farmers the Canadian market for their exports has dried up. For some farmers, this means the company that processes their milk and ships it to Canada will no longer be accepting their milk starting in May. Tom Vilsack, President and CEO of the Dairy Export Council, says, “While farm families in the northeast and midwest are the ones suffering the immediate consequences, thousands more will suffer if Canada persists in using its programs to distort global milk powder markets that are critical to tens of thousands of dairy farmers.”
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.