Sen. Schumer Calls On USTR to Get Changes in Canada Dairy Policy

The U.S. needs to secure "meaningful concessions from Canada to provide stable market access for our dairy producers," according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.With reports indicating that a NAFTA 2.0 agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico may be at hand in coming weeks, Schumer urged Lighthizer to "not miss this opportunity to protect our dairy producers from Canada's recent predatory trade practices."He cited Canada's Class 7 milk pricing scheme as one example and urged for it to be dismantled via the NAFTA 2.0 talks. "This Class 7 system is likely a violation of Canada’s World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments, but addressing it quickly through NAFTA renegotiation is needed, rather than waiting for years for a WTO determination," Schumer said.