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Dairy groups ask Gov’s for Canada trade help

U.S. dairy groups are pushing back as Canada takes a regional trade policy nationwide February 1st.  Dairy leaders say Ontario’s refusal to allow U.S. ultra-filtered milk powder into the country is a flagrant violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

National Milk Producers Federation senior vice president of communications Chris Galen tells Brownfield it’s an unfair policy that hits U.S. producers in two ways.  He says, “It would be continued difficulty for the U.S. to export dairy proteins to Canada where we had a good market, but that’s now basically being closed off, and the other thing that they’re doing is taking some of those skim milk proteins that they have in their country, produced in Canada, and dumping those on the world market.”

Canadian dairy producers operate within a supply management system, but still have surplus milk powder and a shortage of ultra-filtered powder used in food ingredients.

The U.S. Dairy Export Council, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the National Milk Producers Federation sent a letter Monday to dairy state governors, asking them to consider direct action against Canada.

The groups also want President Trump to address these issues when he tries to renegotiate NAFTA.