The U.S. dairy industry advised top U. S. government agricultural trade negotiators that their efforts on any fi nal Pacific Rim free trade agreement must put access to foreign markets for U.S. dairy farmers and proc essors first, and avoid pressure from other countries to regionalize all new market access opportunities in the Trans-Pacif ic Partnership negotiations.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) made the point in letters sent today to U.S. Trade Repr esentative Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
As TPP negotiations head into their final stage, the dairy organizations expressed concern that industries in competing countries are counting on the United States to deliver export gains fo r all, rather than relying on their own governments to secure concessions in the trade agreement. “It is crucial,” USDEC President Tom Suber said, “for the U.S. to prioritize delivery of benefits to our dairy industry, no t other TPP countries.”
As a case in point, the three groups ci ted the recently concluded Japan-Australia FTA, which does little to open agricultura l markets and instead aims to put the burden on U.S. negotiators to win agricultural concessions for all in the TPP.
“The Japan-Australia FTA is an excellent example of the negative impact such a dynamic can have on U.S. interests,” sa id Jim Mulhern, NMPF President and CEO. “Our competitors in other TPP countries must work with their own governments to secure market access rather than insisting that any gains secured by the U.S. in challenging areas such as agriculture be made broadly available to all.”
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