The United States ? Mexico ? Canada Agreement has been in place for a little more than a week, and the Dairy industry is already putting heavy scrutinization on Canada?s activities. The deal was seen as a win for U.S. agriculture. One of those wins was supposed to be for the dairy industry. However, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says these ?wins? now need to be enforced.
Before the trade pact was put into effect the NMPF expressed concerns with Canada?s proposed Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs). They said that they would once again severely limit the access of U.S. dairy products to the country. One of the things that the USMCA was supposed to fix. Shawna Morris is Trade Chief for NMPF, and she says that TRQs are going to be causing prohibitive tariffs on U.S. products.
Morris says that Canada committed to more dairy reforms under the USMCA but is actually being more restrictive than they already were being under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Morris says these concerns go beyond Canada.
Free trade agreement negotiations have formally begun with Kenya, and there is ongoing talks with the European Union and the United Kingdom as well.
