The U.S. has taken Europe's requests on geographical indications "very seriously," Froman said at a National Council of Farmer Cooperatives conference, but he said the data show that EU farm products do “very well” in the U.S., while U.S. products are denied access to EU markets.
Ag exports to the EU were flat or declined in real terms over the last 15 years, while total U.S. ag exports reached hit a record of about $150 billion in 2014, Froman said.
The EU wants to extend geographical indication protections to various products in TTIP, but the U.S. relies on trademarks to protect names instead. The dispute revolves around a number of specific names that are protected in the EU as GIs, like parmesan cheese, but which the U.S. views as generic.
Any EU producer may apply for a trademark in the U.S., and the government will block any future conflicting trademark applications, Froman said. EU agricultural producers already hold 12,000 trademarks in the U.S., he added.
Froman said the U.S. and EU are working “basically around the clock” to try and reach agreement on TTIP this year.