The National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Consortium for Common Food Names commended USTR for spotlighting persistent trade barriers facing U.S. dairy exporters in the 2026 National Trade Estimate report:
“Nearly one in every six pounds of milk produced in America is shipped to a customer overseas,” Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF, said. “When foreign markets are closed off by bogus restrictions, the pain is felt directly on farms across this country. The administration’s work through reciprocal trade negotiations to knock down these barriers is exactly the kind of advocacy American dairy farmers need, and we are grateful to see it reflected in this report.”
“The inclusion of dairy trade barriers in this report and the administration’s concrete action to address them through reciprocal trade negotiations sends a clear signal that the United States is serious about opening markets for American dairy exporters,” Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC, said. “Every unnecessary certification requirement dismantled, every unjustified facility registration eliminated, and every market access commitment secured through these agreements is a win for U.S. dairy. We thank the administration for confronting the barriers directly and we look forward to building on that progress.”
“The EU’s common name confiscation campaign is one of the most cynical trade tactics in the world today, and we are grateful that this administration has made confronting it a priority,” Jaime Castaneda, executive director of CCFN, said. “By documenting the EU’s geographical indications agenda prominently in the NTE Report and pushing back against it in reciprocal trade negotiations, USTR is standing up for American producers of cheeses, wines, meats, and beers. We strongly encourage the administration to keep up the great work.”
The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.
The U.S. Dairy Export Council is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products. For more, visit www.usdec.org.
The Consortium for Common Food Names is an independent, international alliance whose goal is to work with leaders in agriculture, trade, and intellectual property rights to foster the adoption of high standards and model geographical indication guidelines throughout the world. Learn more at www.commonfoodnames.com.