Dairy Trade Priorities Reflected in USTR National Trade Estimate Report
April 7, 2017
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual National Trade Estimate (NTE) report issued late last month highlighted many of the dairy trade priorities that NMPF has been encouraging the Trump Administration to address.
The NTE, submitted to Congress and the president, highlights significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. It is intended to represent an “inventory of the most important barriers affecting U.S. exports” and to “enhance awareness of these trade restrictions and facilitates negotiations aimed at reducing or eliminating these barriers.”
To ensure that USTR incorporated in its list several key issues for U.S. dairy producers, NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council filed detailed comments, and many of the topics the groups highlighted were subsequently cited in the 2017 report. Among the dairy trade issues included were: Canadian dairy trade barriers and policies; geographical Indications and their role in impeding US exports; Japan’s high dairy tariffs; EU regulatory issues such as certification concerns and country of origin labeling requirements; Israel market access; Russia dairy plant registration requirements; Indian dairy certificate requirements; and other topics.