U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan
of Wisconsin says the biggest problem with the North American Free Trade
Agreement “comes from the North,” referring to Canada. Ryan points to Canadian
dairy producers dumping low-cost products on the market to compete with
Wisconsin farms, as the real issue with NAFTA. Late last week, the Republican
said NAFTA needs updated, but said the U.S. should work within the framework of
the deal that took effect in 1994, rather than withdrawing from the agreement.
Bloomberg reports that dairy has long been one of the sticking points in
Canada-U.S. trade, especially for Ryan’s native Wisconsin. Canada’s system of
tariffs and quotas, known as supply management, restricts much of its market.
The U.S. is proposing changes to the program through NAFTA, but Canada has
so-far refused, calling the system “fair.”
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