WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert E. Lighthizer announced the first enforcement action under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) against the Government of Canada for trade measures that harm U.S. dairy farmers and producers:
“I applaud USTR’s decision today to initiate consultations with Canada under the USMCA regarding Canada’s unfair dairy trade practices. Canada’s discriminatory actions in the dairy sector, including its inequitable administration of tariff-rate quotas for cheese, ice cream, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products and its Class 6 and Class 7 milk pricing schemes have harmed U.S. dairy producers and dairy food makers for years. I encourage the Canadians to adhere to their obligations under the USMCA to provide U.S. dairy farmers and dairy exporters greater access to Canada’s market.
“Similarly, I look forward to USTR enforcement actions that will effectively support Mexico’s labor reform and address longstanding and persistent labor violations in Mexico. Without robust enforcement, the corrupt practices by state or local authorities, as well as employers and their protection unions, in Mexico will continue to undermine workplace democracy and the USMCA more broadly."
