USTR Tai meets with Wisconsin farmers

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USTR Tai meets with Wisconsin farmers

U.S Trade Representative Katherine Tai heard from farmers and farm organization representatives at Hamburg Hills Farm, an organic dairy run by two generations of the Servais family southeast of LaCrosse. Tai says, “Mr. Servais was telling me his business, his opportunities are all about relationships that he has, and I would say that in the business of trade policy and diplomacy, it is all about the relationships that you have to be able to raise the tough issues.”

And, Brownfield asked Tai about the one-year-old USMCA and farmer’s frustrations with Canada’s lack of allowing more U.S. dairy products in their market. “I hear you. I hear you. I raise it every chance I can with my counterpart.”

And that’s why Tai says her office took formal action to resolve this issue a couple of weeks ago. “We started a dispute panel with Canada. We’re going to slug it out with them, and we’re going to look for a solution to provide that access that really was so critical to our renewal of NAFTA and the USMCA.”

The farmer roundtable discussion included leaders from Farmers Union, Farm Bureau, the National Pork Producers Council, and the Wisconsin Soybean Board.  Tai says the input from farmers is important for getting the best trade deal possible.

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