FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marti Hogan
(202) 220-3535
mhogan@idfa.org

 Statement By Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of IDFA

(Washington, D.C. – March 1, 2018) The International Dairy Foods Association released the following statement by Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO, regarding the confirmation of Gregg Doud as the chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

“We are pleased that Gregg Doud was confirmed today as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s chief agricultural negotiator. I worked with Gregg on the Ag Roundtable, when he served as a senior staffer for Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and as a staffer with the Senate Agriculture Committee under Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), and I know that he will work both with us and for us.

“Ambassador Lighthizer has pledged that agriculture ‘will be front and center’ in any trade deal the U.S. negotiates, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). I can’t think of a better person than Gregg Doud to be on those front lines.

“We welcome Gregg’s experience and expertise as the United States works to preserve the critically important dairy export market in Mexico, increase meaningful market access in Canada and seek new opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.”

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which employs nearly 1 million skilled individuals, generates more than $39 billion in direct wages and has an overall economic impact of more than $200 billion. IDFA is the umbrella organization for the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA).

Our members range from large multinational organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Our diverse membership includes numerous food retailers, suppliers and companies that offer infant formula and a wide variety of milk ingredients.