Dairy Groups Praise Senate Passage of TPA, Call for Quick House Action

25 May 2015 --- The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council have commended the Senate for approving new Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. They urged members of the House of Representatives to quickly pass their own TPA legislation.

“Trade promotion authority is crucial to concluding trade agreements that will open foreign markets to more U.S. dairy products,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “In the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in particular, having TPA in place is essential to increase pressure on Japan and Canada to extend their best offers.”

USDEC President Tom Suber added, “Knowing that a trade agreement will be considered by Congress under Trade Promotion Authority paves the way to press our negotiating partners to make their best offers on the most sensitive issues. Clearly, dairy exports fall into that category, and the U.S. needs all the tools it can muster to get the best possible deal.”

The two organizations said TPA will increase congressional influence over trade negotiations and lead to agreements that are better for both the country and the dairy industry. They urged the House to take up TPA legislation soon after returning from the Memorial Day recess.

TPA, which expired in 2007, is important to the U.S. dairy industry because the United States now exports the equivalent of one-seventh of its milk production.