Edge calls for Biden administration to continue trade action against Canada

By Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative is pushing the Biden administration to hold Canada accountable on a provision of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that provides for fairer access to that country’s dairy market.

The co-op sent a letter on Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative calling for a continuation of a dispute over Canada’s use of tariff rate quotas. The Trump administration started the enforcement action.

“Playing by the rules is important to every dairy producer in the United States. When entering into trade agreements, each party accepts the terms of the deal, including the ability to consult and, if necessary, dispute the actions of the trading partner,” Edge President Brody Stapel wrote in the letter.

Click here to read Edge’s letter.

John Holevoet, Edge’s director of government affairs, said both countries negotiated the quotas and other items in the USMCA in good faith.

“We all got both benefits and also made concessions to reach that agreement,” Holevoet said. “So it’s not at all unreasonable for us to make sure that everyone is following that agreement in good faith now and following through on their obligations.”

Click here to listen to Holevoet on Wisconsin Public Radio.