Dairy = Growth, Expansion, Opportunity and Optimism

Tag: trade

Dairy = Growth, Expansion, Opportunity and Optimism

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Editor’s Note: This column is adapted from remarks given Nov. 11 at NMPF’s Annual Meeting.

 

I love where we are in this industry right now. We are right where we want to be.

Yes, there are going to be challenges. Yes, there’s going to be uncertainty. But we’re in expansion mode. And I love it.

What I want the theme to be today, in our industry, is growth and expansion and opportunity and optimism. I understand that that’s tough to do when you’re in Washington DC these days. It’s a tough place to do business. It’s a tough place to get anything done.

But the relationships that the National Milk Producers Federation has are unbelievably strong. Whether it’s Senator Thune or Chairman GT Thompson, up one side and down the other. The unbelievable work, unbelievable work that has gone in on getting whole milk in schools, by Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas, and Senator Welch from Vermont. Bipartisan work.

I want to give you a quick status on whole milk in schools, and where we are. We’re so close on this one, and this is a huge thing. Not just for U.S. consumers, and for all of us who have kids in school, but it’s just doing the right thing.

Meanwhile, the One Big Beautiful tax bill is a monumental accomplishment in terms of our global competitiveness. I know the tariffs are disruptive, but that’s a small piece of what amounts to a U.S. industrial policy. We have a tax policy that I think makes us really competitive globally — and not only does that help us on the farm in terms of confidence and investment, but the bill holds other benefits as well: the Section 199A depreciation, the estate tax, the increase in the reference prices for soybeans and wheat, the extension of DMC through 2031 — all were in that bill, folks. That was a critical piece that we got done.

In terms of global competitiveness, we also have to continue with trade deals. USTR is working day and night. These deals are going to matter. We’ve got deals done with Malaysia and Cambodia. And you say, “Well, my goodness, is that a really big deal?” Yes, because these deals got rid of barriers, we got rid of restrictions. We’ve got some really good trade agreements coming, too, in terms of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. If you’ve noticed, and think about where the president was recently in those countries, those are all the countries that border China, folks. And that’s the really interesting thing: In terms of strategy, the president said, “Well, I’m going to make sure that I go visit all these countries first, before I talk to President Xi in China.” That’s not by coincidence.

Having the opportunity to have duty-free access into Southeast Asia is something that we have wanted across all of agriculture, and in particular in the dairy industry, for a long, long time. That’s going to make a huge difference for us.

Along with these opportunities, we also have some of the best leaders in this industry. Our new NEXT program is an exciting part of our trade future, and the implementation and the federal milk marketing order has been really, really smooth so far. The ability for you to be unanimous in what you wanted as an industry, as you presented this to the government, made all the difference.

As a former government official, I can tell you, when you’re not unanimous, that gives that government official the ability to kind of pick and choose what they want to do. When you come in and say, “This is unanimous, this is what we want to do,” you’ve got no wiggle room as the government official. You’ve got to implement this. And that’s why you were so successful in this.

I want to talk briefly about 2026. At NMPF we have done some strategic planning, and we’ve got some work to do on government, governance, leadership development. The YC program is an unbelievable asset for us in this industry. Thank you all for participating in that. But one of the things we’re going to change at National Milk as soon as this meeting is over is, we’re going to try to have a new lease on life on state issues. You’ve got somewhere between 150 and 200 different pieces of state legislation in the food business right now, and in agriculture. We’re going to try to tackle this, not to lobby on these issues, but just to keep track of what we have going on and to be able to coordinate.

On the trade side, we’ve got the USMCA review. We’re constantly dealing with China. We’ve got a farm bill to finish, and then of course, we have a midterm election here coming this fall. And a challenge to 2026 is, you’re going to have your folks that represent you at home say, “Well, we’ll get to that after the midterm election.”

Well, this immigration issue can’t wait for that, folks. It is without question our number one issue in dairy, but across all of agriculture, in my opinion. And I think, to give you the charge today on all of this, I think we need to remind our elected officials that we’ve got to milk the cows every day. We have to do what we do every day. We don’t have time to wait for the inconvenience of an election to get things done in Washington.

So your charge today is this: We are expanding, we are growing, we are doing well. We have great relationships, and we look forward to the year we have ahead. I’m optimistic.

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

Morris on U.S. Dairy Trade Wins

Posted on by Jessi-Ryah Cordova

NMPF’s Executive Vice President of Trade Policy and Global Affairs Shawna Morris said the federation is thrilled with the announcement from the Trump administration of new trade agreements in Southeast Asia. The agreements were with Malaysia and Cambodia, and new trade agreement frameworks are in place with Thailand and Vietnam.

Jonker Honored as NMPF Represents U.S. Producers at World Dairy Summit

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

An NMPF delegation collaborated with counterparts on shared dairy priority areas including trade, animal welfare, the use of dairy terms, dairy promotion and other topics at to the International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 20-23.

The summit marked the end of NMPF Chief Science Officer Jamie Jonker’s five-year term as chair of IDF’s Science Program Coordinating Committee. Jonker spoke at the IDF Forum session, which featured a review of IDF’s key projects this year and priorities for 2026.

Jonker also received an honorary IDF membership recognizing his tenure as SPCC chair and his contributions to the organization and to dairy globally. Jonker has “demonstrated remarkable leadership, guiding the Federation through numerous changes and challenges with purpose,” the IDF Board of Directors cited in its recognition.

NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud and NMPF Executive Vice Presidents Jaime Castaneda and Shawna Morris participated with U.S. Dairy Export Council and checkoff program leaders in bilateral meetings, including with the Indian Dairy Development Board, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Eucolait, European Dairy Association, Nestle, the Mexican dairy sector, and the Chilean dairy sector. The meetings provided the opportunity to exchange information on developments in key markets of interest to the U.S. dairy industry and explore the potential for further work together on shared interests.

Castaneda and Morris spoke on a panel discussion about ensuring that government-led dairy nutrition policies are guided by objective scientific evidence, a key message that will frame next year’s Latin American Dairy Nutrition Conference in Lima, Peru coordinated by NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council in collaboration with the National Dairy Council.

Additionally, William Loux, who heads NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council’s Joint Economics Team, shared the U.S. perspective of the current economic landscape on a separate panel session.

As a precursor to the summit itself, NMPF co-led a roundtable session of animal care programs around the world. Launched in Chicago during the summit hosted by the U.S. in 2023, the roundtable provides a valuable avenue for fostering information sharing and alignment steps by leading animal care programs such as FARM.

The annual gathering of more than 1,000 dairy industry professionals from around the world provides an opportunity to promote the U.S. industry and collaborate with global partners on the sector’s most significant trends and opportunities.

NMPF Identifies Dairy Trade Barriers for U.S. Government

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF and USDEC filed extensive comments Oct. 30 as part of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) request for global trade barriers for its 2026 National Trade Estimate report.

The list of issues compiled by NMPF and USDEC highlight dairy trade irritants in 34 different markets, including regional blocs like the European Union and parties to the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.

Several key issues that the organizations cite include Canada’s refusal to comply with its dairy commitments under USMCA, dairy facility registration challenges across various markets, and the European Union’s long list of trade-distorting measures ranging from certification requirements to the abuse of geographical indications to monopolize common names like “parmesan.”

Supplementing NMPF’s engagement with USTR as cleared confidential advisors, the comments serve as a key resource for the U.S. government as it engages in negotiations with trading partners. The 2025 National Trade Estimate report has served as a guide for crafting the Trump Administration’s reciprocal trade plan. It also offers details on priority dairy markets and products as the U.S. government seeks to resolve barriers to dairy trade and expand market access opportunities.

Washington May Be Stuck, But We Don’t Have To Be

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Despite the legislative branch grinding to a halt this October, it hasn’t impaired NMPF’s ability to make progress for dairy farmers. For all you may read about Washington at an impasse, October was not a month of rest at the National Milk Producers Federation.

Some highlights:

  • Trade talks worldwide continue full-steam-ahead, with a fully staffed Office of the U.S. Trade Representative working on agreements that have significant implications for dairy. New framework trade agreements announced with Asian nations including Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam are a big win for the industry. And last week NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council followed that by filing extensive comments as part of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) request for global trade barriers for its 2026 National Trade Estimate report.

In them we spotlight dairy trade irritants in 34 different markets, including regional blocs like the European Union and parties to the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement. Several key issues cited include Canada’s refusal to comply with its dairy commitments under USMCA; dairy facility registration challenges across various markets; and the European Union’s long list of trade-distorting measures, which range from certification requirements to the abuse of geographical indications to monopolize common names like “parmesan.”

  • Also on trade, NMPF and USDEC on Friday submitted comments to USTR on its upcoming USMCA 2026 joint review, calling for Canada and Mexico both to uphold their dairy-related obligations in the agreement. That includes addressing Canada’s evasion of its market access commitments and Mexico’s need to fully implement USMCA side letters pertaining to the protection of common cheese names.
  • Regulatory processes are also continuing during the shutdown, and an important one is the government’s attempt to define “ultra-processed” foods, a key priority for the MAHA movement. MAHA’s emphasis on whole and natural foods holds great promise for dairy, but a definition of ultra-processed that’s poorly thought out also carries great risk of unintended consequences for public health, affecting food safety, accessibility and affordability.

Our comments on the definition, sent Oct. 23 to the Food and Drug Administration, ensure that dairy farmer voices are included in this critical definition, which will affect every part of the food chain. And it’s only the latest input we’ve had with the government, as it’s our 11th set of regulatory comments filed this year, on everything from plant-based naming practices to front-of-pack labeling to the upcoming Dietary Guidelines.

  • At USDA, where limited staff have returned to Farm Service Agency offices, we’ve sought, and received, assurances that the Emergency Livestock Relief Program 2023 and 2024 Flood & Wildfire application process is up and running again.  When the shutdown began, farmers only had about two weeks with a fully operational USDA to submit ELRP applications online or to their local FSA office. USDA has reassured NMPF it plans to extend the ELRP application deadline into mid-November. Interested farmers should contact their local FSA office to learn more about details on local hours and services and ask to set up a time to discuss their ELRP applications.

These are only a few of the tangible results we’ve achieved in the past month, even as important conversations continue on immigration, the threat of New World screwworm, and other issues. Even amid dysfunction, functions continue, and we continue to do our best for farmers.

It’s what we’ve been sent to Washington to do. We will continue to make progress during the government shutdown, regardless of how frustrating the situation may be, and we all hope it will end soon. In the meantime, please contact us with any questions or concerns at info@nmpf.org, so we may continue to be a resource as this continues to unfold.

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

Taking On EU Dairy Malfeasance is Welcome — and Long Overdue

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

President Trump’s tariff measures toward trading partners across the world sends a clear signal to trading partners: The United States is no longer going to stand for shenanigans that lead to unlevel playing fields. That’s especially true in dairy. And within dairy, the European Union stands apart as an example of shenanigans in action. If the president’s tariffs spur the negotiations that place their policies within the realm of reality and fairness, the effort will be worthwhile.

American farmers have long voiced their concerns about the unfairness of the EU’s agricultural trade policies, arguing that these policies create significant challenges for them in the global marketplace. Some facts: In 1980, the US exported $12 billion in agricultural products to the 27 current members of the European Union. That $12 billion was the high-water mark until 2023. We’ve gone almost 45 years bouncing in a range of between $6 billion and $12 billion annually to the European Union — accounting for zero export growth since the Carter administration. Meanwhile, the trade deficit in agricultural products is growing, and gaping: $23.6 billion at last count.

Now look at dairy trade. The U.S. imports $3 billion in dairy from the European Union — and exports $167 million. We export more cheese to New Zealand, a major dairy exporter with a population of 5 million people — or roughly the same population as Ireland, Slovakia or Norway.

That’s pathetic.

Why do we have that gap, and how do we close it?

From more than 30 years of dealing with EU agriculture, the answer to the first part is simply this: The EU is reflexively protectionist in agriculture. The U.S. “beef hormone” case against the EU, which dates to the 1980s, is a classic example: The U.S. won.  The EU has never complied.

The EU Farm to Fork Initiative, all the certification requirements and protocols, everything that requires processes in the EU, all of it is designed to keep ag imports out. The EU approach to common cheese names like “parmesan” — making it impossible for Americans to sell their products as what they actually are — is a crowning example of the creative, and inappropriate, use of non-tariff barriers to protect their market.

And none of that even touches on the subsidies the Europeans lavish on their farmers, and the schemes they use to push their products at low prices on global markets, ensuring that U.S. farmers repeatedly struggle with unfair competition as they build their own relationships via high-quality, affordable products.

Any effort to close this gap is long overdue; the Trump administration’s strategy starts this process and squarely puts the focus — and the pressure — where it should be: On Brussels, which has artificially created this lopsided trade imbalance and needs to take tangible steps to level the playing field.

In my three decades of experience, the European Union has proven impossible to deal with in agriculture — but if the president stays steady and forceful on EU tariffs, we may finally get their attention. We have no problem with the president hiking tariffs on EU imports higher to drive them to the table — the current ones are a bargain for the EU, considering the highly restrictive barriers the EU imposes on our dairy exporters. And if Europe retaliates against the United States, the administration should respond swiftly and strongly in kind by raising tariffs yet further on European cheeses and butter.

Much has been written about the president’s aggressive stances toward traditional allies such as the EU, questioning the wisdom of taking on our “friends.” But with friends like these, who needs enemies? Relationships are reciprocal, and fairness is the foundation of goodwill. There has been no fairness from the EU toward American farmers — for decades.

All that said, hope remains that American dairy can finally make real progress through productive negotiations. This administration can help achieve a level playing field for U.S. dairy producers by tackling the EU’s numerous tariff and nontariff trade barriers that bog down our exports. It can create a brighter future for U.S. dairy trade — and build hope among farmers who know that the administration is listening to them, and now the world as well.

As the administration moves forward with negotiations, we’re hoping for swiftly negotiated, constructive outcomes. We will do whatever we can to help break this decades-old logjam that has hurt U.S. farmers and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. The field is wide open, and we are poised for progress.

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

USTR Calls Out Misuse of Geographical Indications as Major Trade Barrier

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) said they appreciated the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) decision to spotlight protection of common food names in the agency’s 2025 Special 301 Report released today.

The annual report outlines major global intellectual property concerns. It highlighted the European Union’s persistent campaign to monopolize common names—such as “parmesan” and “feta”— through protectionist geographical indication (GI) policies. These efforts restrict the use of widely recognized food and beverage terms to only specific European producers and effectively cut U.S. producers out of certain key markets.

“The European Union’s approach to geographical indications is entirely unacceptable. It intentionally crowds out fair competition by restricting market access for U.S. and international producers,” said Jaime Castaneda, executive director of CCFN. “Too many trading partners have been coerced into imposing trade barriers for products using common food and beverage names. We appreciate USTR’s ongoing recognition of this issue but  urge the U.S. government to stop trading partners to succumbing to European pressures and imposing trade barriers on U.S. products.”

“Europe’s misuse of geographical indications is nothing more than a trade barrier dressed up as intellectual property protection,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “It not only unfairly strips American producers of the right to use common, widely understood terms, but significantly handcuffs commercial export opportunities. We welcome USTR’s focus on this issue and appreciate the administration’s dedication to protecting U.S. market access rights.”

“Last year, the United States imported nearly $3 billion more in dairy products from the European Union than we exported to Europe. Europe’s abuse of the GI system is a significant reason for that deficit,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “EU GI schemes create a two-tiered system that benefits European producers and stamps out competition. We appreciate that USTR is addressing this unfair practice and look forward to continuing to work together to level the playing field for U.S. dairy producers.”

CCFN submitted comments to the agency in January, which broke down the many markets where U.S. dairy producers’ common name rights are being threatened. NMPF and USDEC filed supporting comments noting the urgency for action to address this pressing trade barrier. CCFN Senior Director Shawna Morris built on those comments at a Feb. 19 USTR hearing, where she underlined how the EU misuses geographical indications and why it’s imperative for the U.S. government to match the EU’s efforts on common names.

NMPF’s Morris Assesses Dairy Impact of New Import Tariffs

Posted on by Chris Galen

NMPF’s executive vice president Shawna Morris assesses how the U.S. dairy sector could be impacted by the new tariffs imposed against imports by the Trump Administration, and how foreign countries may in turn raise their own tariffs against American exports.

What dairy trade may look like under Trump

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

Jaime Castaneda HeadshotU.S. trade policy has changed significantly since the United States last passed a new free trade agreement (FTA), all the way back in 2011. During the past decade, securing new agricultural market access has become more difficult as it has been frustrated at times by both a lack of support in Washington, D.C., as well as an unwillingness from our trading partners to engage in earnest negotiations.

Although the United States has at times proposed new regional pacts and secured more targeted trade expansions in specific sectors, these proposals were typically seen as unbalanced and ultimately were found to be lacking in terms of political support here at home. Unfortunately, this trend looks poised to continue to the detriment of U.S. dairy producers and exporters. Despite these headwinds, U.S. dairy (and agriculture) exports have grown exponentially over the last 15 years, due in key part to established FTAs, World Trade Organization access, and more targeted agreements, but also because the growth in consumer demand for our dairy products outside the U.S. has risen in parallel with greatly improved economic conditions since the recession of 2009.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House in January, the National Milk Producers Federation is examining how his second administration may approach trade policy and what it means for U.S. dairy producers.

Comprehensive trade agreements and tariffs

President Trump’s “America First” economic policy was the cornerstone of his trade policy decisions in his first term, and it is a trend expected to accelerate in a second term. The first Trump administration focused on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — now the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — while also securing sectoral trade agreements with China and Japan and a pursuit of FTAs with the United Kingdom (UK) and Kenya. Negotiations with the UK faltered as a result of the enormous complexity of the UK’s exit from the European Union. Discussions with Kenya ended with the change from the Trump to Biden administrations. A resumption of trade negotiations with both could be explored under a second Trump administration in conjunction with Congress passing a renewal of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation.

New comprehensive trade agreements, or deals announced in specific sectors — along the lines of those pursued under Trump 1.0 — would open new markets for U.S. dairy producers. In contrast, tariff hikes imposed on trading partners invite the potential for retaliatory duties on U.S. dairy exports, exacerbating any competitive disadvantage that American dairy producers might face while reaching international customers.

USMCA review

President Trump’s renegotiation of NAFTA resulted in USMCA in 2020, with newly negotiated aspects of dairy products trade between the United States and Canada featured as a key element of the agreement. As USMCA prepares to enter its six-year mandatory review period in 2026, Canada’s persistent attempts to circumvent its dairy market access and protein export cap obligations will be front and center in the discussions, both on Capitol Hill and within the administration.

The role of Congress

While trade policy is largely driven by the executive branch, Congress will have a significant role in several areas over the next four years. In addition to any TPA discussion, there could also be a debate over China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. Congress will also want to have input regarding the USMCA’s 2026 review process, and a renewal of the trade title of the farm bill will influence dairy’s participation in U.S. food aid programs. Across these issues, the U.S. dairy community will have to make its voice heard to ensure that policymakers prioritize the issues that impact dairy producers and workers on the ground.

These are just a sample of the many trade issues that NMPF, the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), and their allies will prioritize in the Trump administration. With the backing of more than 26,000 dairy farms and millions of additional workers, NMPF is confident that it will be able to work with Congress and the administration to pursue new market access, resolve harmful barriers to trade, and promote the U.S. dairy industry as the global supplier of choice.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Nov. 7, 2024.

NMPF’s Bjerga on Dairy’s Clout in the Elections

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

NMPF Executive Vice President for Communications & Industry Relations Alan Bjerga discusses the reasons why dairy farmers may be an especially influential portion of the farm vote in an interview on RFD-TV. Because dairy farms tended to cluster around major metro areas, they’re disproportionately represented in some of this year’s most closely contested states in the competition for the White House.

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