Tag: U.S. dairy exports

New Maritime Fees Would Undermine U.S. Dairy, NMPF Argues

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF and USDEC filed joint comments on March 24 to USTR urging the administration to reconsider proposed fees on Chinese-owned or built vessels under the agency’s Section 301 investigation into China’s maritime and shipbuilding practices. NMPF warned that fees ranging up to $1.5 million per port call would significantly increase shipping costs, undermining U.S. dairy export competitiveness abroad, even as it supported efforts to bolster the U.S. commercial fleet.

Nearly 40% of U.S. dairy exports rely on ocean freight. Higher fees risk lost market access, supply chain disruptions and economic harm to dairy farmers and exporters, NMPF and USDEC argued in their comments. NMPF joined two March 24 letters—one from a broad industry coalition and a second from agricultural organizations— call for alternative approaches that support U.S. strategic goals without disproportionately harming American exporters.

NMPF’s Doud Urges More Dairy Trade Opportunities Before Subcommittee

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), told the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee today that expanding market access and enforcing existing trade agreements to America’s dairy producers, workers and exporters is of paramount importance.

“To keep up with our competitors from Europe and New Zealand, U.S. dairy exporters need new trade deals that cut tariffs and tackle nontariff trade barriers,” Doud said in his written testimony. “Whether the U.S. government prioritizes the enforcement the trade agreements it has negotiated and addresses trade barriers targeting U.S. exports will determine whether American farmers and workers will actually benefit from the market access that has and will be promised.”

The U.S. dairy industry last year exported close to $8.3 billion in dairy products overseas, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, despite competing against global counterparts who benefit from more recent and expansive trade agreements. Doud highlighted the critical role of existing U.S. trade agreements and called on Congress and the Trump Administration to pursue and enforce trade policies that empower the U.S dairy industry to grow its business internationally.

Doud also detailed specific agreements for the U.S. government to prioritize greater enforcement, including:

  • Fixing the United States’ deeply imbalanced agricultural trade relationship with the European Union.
  • Ensuring Canada holds up its end of the bargain on dairy in USMCA by fixing both the export issues into Canada and the excessive offloading of artificially low-price Canadian dairy protein into the U.S. and global markets.
  • Following through with China on increasing its purchases of U.S. dairy products, ensuring timely facility listing updates, and providing protection for common names.
  • Resolving India’s longstanding high tariffs and unscientific certification requirements.

“Our competitors are not slowing down,” Doud said. “They are targeting highly valuable and important dairy markets, with the backing of their governments’ proactive trade agendas. We are hopeful that the U.S. government will take this as a challenge to stand up for U.S. dairy and U.S. agriculture. Our farmers deserve a level playing field and are counting on their government to deliver.”

NMPF Supports Indonesia School Milk Pledge as Market Share Grows

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF Executive Vice President of Trade Policy and Global Affairs Shawna Morris joined U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) staff in Indonesia from June 18-21 to advance the U.S.-Indonesia Technical Collaboration Project on Dairy and encourage steps to increase dairy trade in what is becoming an increasingly important market.

The trip took place as the country prepares to fulfill a new pledge from incoming president Prabowo Subianto to provide free milk to Indonesian schoolchildren as part of a new school meals program Indonesia plans to launch. Indonesia, meanwhile, is a rising consumer of U.S. dairy, with exports rising 28 percent over the past five years to becoming the second biggest customer in the Southeast Asia region.

A joint effort to provide forward-looking technical and educational support for local dairy producers, the U.S.-Indonesia Technical Collaboration Project on Dairy was spurred by a 2023 National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) trade mission to Indonesia which USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden joined.

NMPF and USDEC are working with NASDA, the Wisconsin Agriculture Department, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, and New Mexico State University to develop technical education modules that provide to Indonesian small-scale dairy farmers guidance and best practices for achieving sustainable, healthy, and higher-yield dairy production.

NMPF and USDEC staff met with a host of local industry and government leaders, discussing the progress in launching the joint capacity building project as well as the importance of addressing Indonesia’s tariff and non-tariff barriers to unlock complementary U.S. dairy exports that can fully meet the country’s expected higher level of dairy demand.

USDEC, NMPF Ally with Colombian Dairy Association to Strengthen Trade, Drive Dairy Priorities

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and Colombian Association of Dairy Industry (Asoleche) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to increase cooperation between the U.S. and Colombian dairy industries as they advocate for pro-trade and science-based policies.

The agreement details objectives focused on improving communications and knowledge-sharing between the two industries, highlighting the economic and social importance of the dairy industry, and eliminating trade barriers that harm producers and consumers alike.

“This agreement is another significant step in the U.S. dairy industry’s commitment to working with and supporting our partners in Colombia and across Latin America,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “Both industries benefit when we have a robust trade relationship. Everyone – especially Colombian consumers – are worse off when policymakers impose ill-advised trade barriers. We look forward to continuing to build on our strong partnership.”

“The U.S. and Colombian dairy industries share many of the same values and priorities,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “We’re excited to work alongside Asoleche to promote positive, sound policies that build a stronger dairy industry in the Americas and internationally.”

“At Asoleche, our mission is to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the Colombian dairy industry,” said Ana María Gómez Montes, Executive President of Asoleche. “This partnership with USDEC and NMPF will enable us to promote milk consumption, which is one of the greatest challenges we face as a dairy chain in Colombia. It will also provide us with more tools for innovation through the exchange of knowledge between industries. We hope that together we will develop innovative projects that benefit the entire dairy chain and consumers in Colombia who rely on both domestic and imported dairy products.”

The MOU  complements similar agreements USDEC and NMPF have made throughout Latin America, including with Sociedad Rural Argentina, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Chilean Federacion Nacional de Productores de Leche (Fedeleche).

NMPF Renews Partnership with Mexican Dairy Industry

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) co-led the U.S. delegation at the May 7-8 U.S.-Mexico binational meeting in Chihuahua, Mexico. As both countries head toward presidential elections this year and policy-related threats to dairy consumption in Mexico – the U.S.’s largest dairy export market – are growing, the convening focused on how to best collaborate to address future challenges.

NMPF and USDEC reaffirmed their commitment to a strong partnership with the largest U.S. dairy export destination during the event, which focused on the importance of shared advocacy for pro-trade and science-based public policies, as well as the opportunity for greater work together on dairy promotion efforts.

The U.S. contingent included 14 U.S. dairy farmers, cooperative staff and processor representatives, while the Mexican dairy industry was led by five producer and dairy processor groups with a total of approximately 20 representatives from Mexico. The two parties discussed the most pressing issues facing their respective industries, and capped the meeting with an agreed-upon list of 12 new and updated priorities, including:

  • Enhanced trade between the two nations,
  • The continued defense of common names, and
  • Improved information sharing on sustainability and market trends.

Designed to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Mexican dairy sectors, the two industries first formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2005 and have since met regularly to build on that collaboration. The binational meeting is a vital component in maintaining robust and smooth engagement with the U.S.’s most important international partner.

IDF World Dairy Summit a U.S. Dairy Opportunity

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit brings unique opportunities for U.S. dairy as the host nation for the Chicago event, to be held next Oct. 16-19. The global conference returns to the United States for the first time in three decades, at a moment when rising exports and world-leading sustainability gives the U.S. industry a great story to tell, according to three leaders in organizing next year’s events.

“It’s a really exciting time for our industry, and we think that there’s a tremendous opportunity, a tremendous amount of potential that dairy, globally, has here,” said Shawna Morris, Senior Vice President for Trade at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). “Looking at how we tap into that together is what we’re focused on doing through the conference.”

“Bringing all of these folks to the United States creates an opportunity to get folks into facilities, to get them out to farms, to really show the rest of the global dairy industry what the U.S. dairy industry is all about,” said Nick Gardner, chairman of the U.S. International Dairy Federation, the Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Multilateral Affairs at USDEC, and with Morris the co-chair of next year’s summit.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the U.S. dairy industry to highlight its world leading dairy production from the farm through our cooperatives and processors and out to the consumers,” said Jamie Jonker, NMPF’s chief science officer and chair of IDF’s Science Program Coordinating Committee. “It’s a way for us to step on the world stage, reintroduce U.S. dairy, its innovation and technology to the global marketplace, and demonstrate how we are world leaders.”

Morris, Gardner and Jonker also discuss how the dairy community can get involved with supporting the event, already highlighted by platinum-level sponsor Dairy Management Inc., as planning for it is already in full swing. More in the summit can be found here. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music.