President Donald Trump last week asked Congress to extend Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) for three more years, a move that would allow new or renegotiated trade pacts to pass through Congress with an up-or-down vote and no amendments. In a letter requesting the extension, the president listed ongoing talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the potential for new trade agreements in Southeast Asia, which are two areas of significant interest for IDFA members. Several administration officials last week also affirmed the importance of pursing trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region, where demand for dairy products is rising rapidly.

“IDFA has stressed to the administration and Congress that trade agreements with markets in the Asia-Pacific region are critically important to the continued growth of the U.S. dairy industry,” said Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs. “We’re encouraged to see that the administration is already looking for other opportunities to secure market access for products like dairy in the region.”

In testimony to Congress last week, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said his team of deputies will aggressively pursue free trade agreements.  (FTAs). “We also have hopes for potential FTAs in Africa and Southeast Asia,” he told House Ways and Means Committee members. “We look forward to working with you on these new deals.”

Ambassador Gregg Doud made his first public remarks as chief agricultural negotiator last week at the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. He stressed that pursuing bilateral deals in regions like Asia is a critical step in reaching new customers abroad.

Ted McKinney, undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, joined Doud at the summit. He said that he was eager to support his partners on the president’s trade team and that USDA will “leave no stone unturned” in its fight to build and rebuild the foundation of foreign markets for American products.

For more information, contact Hughes at bhuges@idfa.org.