Becky Rasdall Vargas, senior vice president of trade and workforce policy at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), released the following statement in response to President Trump’s suggestion that the United States may place a reciprocal tariff on Canadian dairy products:

“It is accurate that Canada imposes a tariff of approximately 250% on U.S. exports of certain dairy products into Canada, and even more with Canada’s 25% retaliatory tariffs in place. However, that tariff would only apply if we were able to reach and exceed the quota on U.S. dairy exports agreed to under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Frustratingly, the U.S. has never gotten close to exceeding our USMCA quotas because Canada has erected various protectionist measures that fly in the face of their trade obligations made under USMCA. 

“U.S. dairy is grateful for the Trump Administration’s efforts to hold Canada accountable on these protectionist measures. At the same time, a prolonged tariff war with our top trading partners will continue to create uncertainly and additional costs for American dairy farmers, processors, and our rural communities.  We urge Canada and the United States to negotiate a resolution to these issues – both Canada’s trade barriers to U.S. dairy exports and the tariffs – as expeditiously as possible.”