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Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills, Field Director for R-CalfUSA and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
Good day everyone in farm & ranch country.
WASHINGTON – Last week, a dispute settlement panel established under the United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement (USMCA) released a report regarding Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quota (TRQ) allocation measures.
In 2022, the U.S. won favorable consideration with a USMCA panel that agreed with the U.S. that Canada was breaching its USMCA commitments by reserving most of the in-quota quantity in its dairy TRQs for the exclusive use of Canadian processors. Canada updated its TRQ measures, but the U.S. challenged that Canada’s dairy TRQ allocation measures still posed undue restraint on U.S. dairy exporters in the Canadian market. In the report released on last week, two of three panelists determined that the updated TRQ measures satisfied Canada’s USMCA obligations.
While disappointed with the outcome, the pursuit of the panel reflects Ambassador Tai’s strong commitment to enforce the USMCA and ensure that America’s farmers, processors, and exporters receive the benefits they were promised.
Following the release of the panel decision, government leaders and stakeholders underscored the importance of enforcing the USMCA and praised Ambassador Tai for fighting for American farmers.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack: “The United States won the first USMCA case on Canada’s dairy TRQ allocation system with the ultimate goal of securing fair market access for U.S. dairy farmers, workers, processors, and exporters. Although we are disappointed in the outcome of this second case, we brought this case to refine and expand upon our win in the first case. We will continue to voice deep concerns about Canada’s system. We remain focused on securing the market access we believe Canada committed to under the USMCA and we will continue exploring all avenues available to achieve that goal.”
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21): “It is entirely unacceptable that the current Canadian dairy restrictions harming U.S. farmers are allowed to continue. Our dairy farmers in Upstate New York and the North Country work hard to provide delicious and nutritious products for our communities and deserve the market access they were promised under USMCA. This USMCA dispute panel’s decision allows the status quo to continue. This is untenable. I will continue to work to ensure that USMCA is enforced to allow fair market access for our dairy farmers.”
Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03): “I remain fully supportive of holding Canada to its USMCA commitments & am disappointed in the dispute settlement panel’s ruling on Canada’s dairy TRQ allocation measures. This does not take away from the panel’s 2022 determination that Canada breached its USMCA commitments.”
It continues to be noted that on a global playing field, the United States ag producers seem to be the black sheep. While we are a ag production powerhouse, those who hold power over seem to wield it in the direction of other nations who are allowed to dump their products into our markets, sometimes without distinction to American consumers, like in the case of beef; yet close the doors to our products such as the case for dairy.
Join me right back here next week for more ag news from our nation’s capitol.
Join me right back here next week as I bring you more ag news from our nation’s capital.
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Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Tune in Fridays on The Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights industry reforms or listen to Ranch Raised with Karina Jones a slice of daily life on the Jones Ranch.
