ARLINGTON, VA – On behalf of America’s dairy producers and processors, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) urged Congress to pass the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.  The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the trade deal this week and Senate action also is anticipated before the end of the year.

“This agreement will help further expand U.S. dairy exports, which have reached a new record level in each of the past five years,” said Jaime Castaneda, NMPF senior vice president and USDEC senior policy advisor.

The agreement provides a combination of some immediate market openings, coupled with gradual transition periods to ultimately open trade between the U.S. and Peru. Upon implementation of the FTA, the U.S. dairy industry will gain immediate open access for whey and lactose, as well as tariff-free access for sizable amounts of cheese and skim milk powder, among other important dairy products.

U.S. exporters anticipate achieving additional market access in Peru as tariffs are ultimately phased out completely by the seventeenth year of the FTA.  These expanded export opportunities are expected to help grow a market that totaled $12 million in U.S. dairy exports last year. The anticipated benefit from additional exports of cheese, whey, skim milk powder, and other dairy products will average approximately $100 million a year over the first several years of the agreement.

Castaneda added, “The U.S. dairy industry has consistently supported trade agreements such as this one that provide a net benefit for U.S. dairy producers and the industry as a whole. Since this FTA very clearly fits that bill, NMPF and USDEC very much look forward to its passage by the House and Senate so that our industry can begin to enjoy these benefits.”

The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of U.S. dairy producers and the cooperatives they collectively own. The members of NMPF’s 32 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of nearly 40,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF’s activities, visit www.nmpf.org.

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the export trade interests of U.S. milk producers, proprietary processors, dairy cooperatives, and export traders. Its mission is to enhance international demand for U.S. dairy products and assist the industry to increase the volume and value of exports. USDEC accomplishes this through market development programs that build overseas demand for U.S. dairy products, resolving market access barriers and advancing the industry’s trade policy goals. USDEC activities are supported by staff in Mexico, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, South America, Middle East and Europe. Website: www.usdec.org.