Tag: US Chile dairy

U.S., Chile Strike Landmark Common Names Agreement

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF, in partnership with USDEC and the Consortium for Common Food Names, successfully secured an agreement approved by the Chilean government on Sept. 3 that safeguards U.S. cheese producers’ ability to use common food names such as “parmesan” Chilean market. The collaboration sets an important precedent that the U.S. has the resources and influence to counter the European Union’s aggressive, worldwide monopolization of common names.

NMPF’s engagement was initially prompted by the December 2023 signing of the EU-Chile trade agreement, which contained provisions that threatened U.S. cheese exports under the guise of protecting European geographical indications. NMPF, USDEC and CCFN worked closely with U.S. and Chilean government officials to find a workable solution that would protect U.S. cheese products, specifically parmesan. The organizations closely tracked the grandfathering process and supported members’ in submitting successful applications to establish prior user rights under that process; that later proved pivotal not only to securing firm commitments on access for those firms but also maintaining access for the wider set of U.S. cheese manufacturers. The organizations also met repeatedly with the U.S. government to evaluate specific workable approaches to preserving access for U.S. exporters and coordinated with industry counterparts in Chile.

These efforts helped lead to an exchange of letters between U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Chile’s Undersecretary of International Economic Relations Claudia Sanhueza on June 21 that confirmed that U.S. exporters would not face future restrictions around the use of 29 cheese and meat terms. Officials also agreed to an expanded interpretation of grandfathering provisions in the EU-Chile FTA that permits the continued use of parmesan by all U.S. exporters due to prior use of the term in Chile by at least one U.S. firm.

The agreement will take effect Jan. 15.

“This agreement is a milestone for U.S. dairy producers. It ensures that many of our products will maintain fair access to the Chilean market, supporting the growth and success of American dairy farmers on a global scale. Now, we need to build on that momentum by securing agreements with other trading partners to protect export opportunities for even more U.S. cheeses,” said Gregg Doud, NMPF President and CEO, in a statement after the agreement, calling on the U.S. government to build on the momentum and secure additional agreements with trading partners around the world.

NMPF and USDEC Join Chilean Dairy Industry to Advance Policy Priorities Internationally

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the Chilean Federacion Nacional de Productores de Leche (Fedeleche) today finalized an agreement that will facilitate better sharing of knowledge and information and foster collaboration as the three groups advocate for science-based standards and guidelines in agricultural trade policy across the world.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishes a set of objectives that will guide cooperation in supporting common policy priorities in international forums. The collaboration lasts through 2024 and includes a strong focus on establishing events, seminars and conferences to improve mutual understanding on issues such as sustainability, food systems and global trade.

“Dairy producers in the United States and Chile share many of the same values and policy priorities, and will benefit greatly from this partnership,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We’re excited to work alongside USDEC and Fedeleche to proactively set commonsense food and ag policy.”

“We are delighted at this opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Chilean agricultural producers,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “Through this agreement, we are in a better position to ensure that international trade and regulatory policy is reasonable, fair and based in science.”

“At Fedeleche, we value free trade based on clear and fair rules. We are looking forward to working with the American dairy sector to achieve structural reforms that counter the protectionism that we encounter so frequently,” said Marcos Winkler Mayer, president of the Fedeleche. “We celebrate this partnership and are in a better place to serve American and Chilean agriculture and dairy when we work together.”

The MOU between NMPF, USDEC and Fedeleche complements an agreement signed earlier this year with Sociedad Rural Argentina, which provides USDEC and NMPF with an additional avenue to communicate and engage with stakeholders in Latin America.