House Members Push for Phase 2 Deal With Japan for Dairy Exporting
Fifty-two members of Congress, led by Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., asked U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to engage with Congress during the negotiations of a phase two agreement with Japan.
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Lighthizer said during testimony before the Ways and Means Committee, where Kind serves, that phase two negotiations with Japan probably won't begin for a few months.
“While the Phase One agreement with Japan made progress on achieving improved tariff treatment for many American dairy products, our farmers and processors remain at a disadvantage to our competitors due to the preferential access granted to our competitors by the Japan-European Union (EU) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreements,” the House members said. The U.S. could have gotten the access for butter and milk powder through the TPP, but the administration chose to pull out in 2017. The TPP faced opposition in Congress, as well.
They also asked negotiators to get Japan to agree to “enforceable commitments to protect common cheese names.” Japan is already moving ahead with geographic indicators for European cheeses (see 2007090001), including for Roquefort, feta, Asiago, parmesan, Pecorino, Manchego and others.