The dairy organizations urge Congress to approve the modernized NAFTA pact swiftly.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), both headquartered in Arlington, Va., commended the Trump administration on Nov. 30 for signing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which had been agreed to in principle on Sept. 30.
The USMCA will benefit America's dairy sector by maintaining the overall U.S.-Mexico trading structure of the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), while incorporating new commitments to strengthen U.S. dairy export prospects throughout the North American region, the dairy organizations said. Thanks to NAFTA, Mexico is currently the largest export destination for U.S. dairy products, accounting for $1.2 billion in sales last year. The United States commands a dominant market share in Mexico, with sales that amount to three-quarters of its imported dairy products.