June 27,2018-
More than 60 dairy companies including major San Joaquin Valley groups urged President Trump to end new tariffs with Mexico this week.
In a letter,the American dairy farmers and cheese makers commended President Donald Trump today for his efforts on equitable trade and for insisting that Canada halt its market-distorting dairy practices. At the same time, the companies urged the administration to reconsider its imposition of new tariffs on Mexico in light of that country’s constructive engagement in NAFTA negotiations and the harm that Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs will have on U.S. dairy’s trade with its largest and most reliable market.
The letter was signed by Visalia’s California Dairies Inc, Land O Lakes, Leprino Foods and Hilmar – all with big plants in the Central Valley
“In retaliation for U.S. actions on steel and aluminum imports, Mexico recently added new tariffs – some of which will reach as high as 25 percent next month – on American-made cheeses, among other products. These tariffs will certainly diminish demand for high-quality dairy products that are produced across the United States. The production of cheese and other dairy products in the U.S. supports nearly 3 million American jobs. The additional Mexican duties also will allow the European Union, which recently signed a bilateral free trade agreement with Mexico, to take hard-earned market share from American dairy companies.”
In their letter to President Trump, the companies asked the administration to work collaboratively with Mexico and suspend the steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexican products until the negotiations for a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have been concluded.