Yesterday, the dairy industry said it is critical that Congress solve the trade dispute over country-of-origin labeling (COOL) to head off damaging new tariffs on U.S. dairy exports by Canada and Mexico.

In a letter to the Senate (PDF, 118KB), the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) expressed “growing apprehension” that retaliatory tariffs are drawing closer under a finding that said parts of the U.S. COOL law violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

“[We] urge the Senate to pass legislation to bring the U.S. into compliance with its WTO obligations without further delay,” the groups said.

Last spring, the WTO ruled against the U.S. COOL program, saying that Canada and Mexico could retaliate against U.S. exports in response. American dairy products have been on Canada’s target list for retaliatory tariffs resulting from the ruling.

“Retaliation against dairy products would come at a particularly challenging time for our industry, given the currently depressed global dairy market,” said NMPF, USDEC and IDFA. “Multiple cooperatives have already been faced at times this year with oversupplies of milk, causing them to dispose of excess milk at a loss. Retaliatory tariffs would back up exports further onto the U.S. market during this time of overly abundant milk supplies.”

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Any congressional solution, the groups added, must satisfy Canada and Mexico because those two countries would retain their right to retaliate against the U.S. until a lengthy WTO arbitration process is concluded. “U.S. dairy producers and processors cannot risk getting mired down in that drawn-out process,” they said.

The three groups asked the Senate to work together “to put in place an outcome that Canada and Mexico agree resolves this issue.”  PD

—From National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council and International Dairy Foods Association news release