US Dairy Groups Applaud USTR's Dairy Proposal Re: Canada

U.S. milk producers roundly approved of a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) proposal telling Canada that its problematic dairy policies must be addressed in the negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement. "We are gratified that our trade negotiators have heard the concerns of America's dairy farmers and cooperatives, and made dairy trade a key objective in the U.S.-NAFTA agenda," National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern said in a statement."The problems created by Canada's dairy system must be resolved as part of the current negotiations." The industry group praised USTR for proposing an aggressive request for Canada to open its market to more U.S. imports and demanding that Ottawa rescind a dairy pricing program that has squelched U.S. exports of ultra-filtered milk north of the border.